


Shot in the Dark

by 1The_Quiet_Samurai1



Series: To Riverdale and Back Again [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Archie needs a hug, In case I want to go deeper., It's high school so of course there's angst lol, It's mainly rated M so I'm not limited, Jughead needs a hug, Just hug the whole town guys., M/M, Mostly angst but there's some fluff here and there, Oh yeah and a murder, SPOILERS- IT BASICALLY FOLLOWS THE SERIES SO YES SPOILERS!!, TRIGGERS DEFINITELY TRIGGERS, The girls need hugs, They all need one., swears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2018-09-21 06:24:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 101,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9535727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1The_Quiet_Samurai1/pseuds/1The_Quiet_Samurai1
Summary: Archie Andrews keeps screwing up.He just wants to fix things.





	1. Bang, Bang

Archie Andrews can’t choose between Veronica and Betty. In the end, he was never _truly_ attracted to either of them. Not even Miss Grundy.

Okay. _Maybe_ he’d been attracted to Veronica and Miss Grundy at one point. But that faded into nothing. Seriously. But… there was someone… that he’d been seeing everywhere. Someone that he’d known for a long time. It’s because of him that they’d split as friends. He knew the other would never admit it, but it’s true. Archie had changed and started leaving the other behind. It wasn’t on purpose, but he did it and that’s what happened. So his once best friend decided to call it quits. And since then Archie had been seeing them everywhere. He had a big ache in his chest that didn’t seem to go away. He wasn’t oblivious like people seemed to think he was. He wasn’t oblivious to Betty’s feelings for him, nor his and Veronica’s attraction to each other. Or how Betty’s mother is- for lack of a better word- an ass. He’s not even oblivious to his own feelings that are emerging now.

He wants to fix things. He was sort of fighting with all of his friends at the moment, because he screwed up yet again. Archie sighed and pulled his car up to Pop’s. If he didn’t find Betty here, then he could at least get some food. He’s starving. It was late, midnight, so there shouldn’t be that many people, if any in the restaurant. Archie out of habit, glanced at the windows to see who was there.

Just one.

Archie’s breathing hitched and his heart sped up with nerves and attraction. His mind says that he shouldn’t go in there, but his body apparently says otherwise as he opened the door and heard the bell chime. It took everything he had to not glance back at the one and only customer. He knew he was being stared at. Or at least, watched. He swallowed nervously.

“Uh, hey Pop, Betty hasn’t come in has she?” he asked.

“No, just the nighthawke over there.”

“Oh. Um, thanks. Uh, could I get a cheese burger combo?”

“The usual?”

“Yes please.”

“Sure thing.”

“Thanks.” Archie placed ten bucks on the counter and walked over to his former best friend’s table. He swallowed nervously again.

“Uh, hey Jughead.” No response. Unless you count his eyes narrowing. “Can uh, can I sit?” Jughead shrugged.

“If you want.”

“What are you working on?” Simple conversation. Good start. Jug seemed to be in a talking mood. Well sort of anyway.

“A novel. It’s about summer, what happened to Jason Blossom.”

“Seventeen years old and how will he be remembered?” Jughead glanced down unsure of where he was headed. “As captain of the water polo team?”

“The aqua-holics. Considering how he _died_ , probably not.”

“No, what I mean is, was he doing everything he’s supposed to do? Everything _he_ wanted. And, did he even know what that was?”

Jughead just looked at him, then glanced out the window. Archie knew he wasn’t going to get an answer. “Coach Clayton was in here talking to Pop Tate. Varsity.” Archie nodded and looked down. “Does that make you what, Mister Popular Football God now?”

“No. In fact, I’m kind of terrified I lost my best friend tonight.”

“If you mean Betty, whatever happened just, talk to her man. It’d go a long way.” Archie frowned but nodded. “Would have gone a long way with me.”

Archie looked at him and found that Jughead was looking back at him intensely. Whether or not it was on purpose, he didn’t know. But he saw how much he’d hurt Jughead. His heart contracted with pain and he swallowed a lump in his throat.

Pop came by and put down his order.

“Uh, thanks.” Archie mumbled. Pop nodded and went back to the counter. Archie turned back to Jughead. The other boy had now taken to staring out the window. Archie couldn’t help but stare. He was beautiful. How could he have allowed himself to lose such a great friend? A friend that had always been there for him, that always gave great advice, and was always so calm and peaceful. Even when he was upset, like now. Which, Archie had to fix. “Can…” he hesitated. What if it was too late for them? “Can we talk now?”

Jughead looked at him carefully. He seemed to be searching for something. He swallowed.

“Fix things with Betty first. Don’t leave her behind.” Jughead said as he closed his laptop and folded his arms on the table. He was serious, but the corners of his mouth were tilted up ever so slightly. Archie felt the corners of his own mouth tilt upwards and his shoulders didn’t feel so heavy. He glanced at his plate and turned it so that the fries were pointing towards Jughead. There seemed to be extra anyway. Pop always had a way of _knowing_ things. That’s why people liked him so much.

Archie munched on his burger and Jughead occasionally stole a few fries.

Just like old times.

Archie did a little victory dance in his mind. They ate in silence, but it wasn’t awkward.

“Hey um, do you still have the same number?” he asked after they exited the restaurant.

“Never changes.”

“Cool. Um, same here. I’ll uh, see you around?”

“Maybe.” Jughead seemed to hesitate for a second and he looked away. “I would thank you for the fries, but we both know that was Pop.” Archie chuckled.

“Yeah he always knows what’s best.” This time Archie hesitated. “Like you.” Jughead stared at him with an expression Archie couldn’t figure out. Archie knew he was blushing and thanked whatever was up there for the lack of light. They had a staring contest for what seemed like an eternity before Jughead spoke up.

“Betty. You. Uh… should…” he stumbled over his words. Archie’s heart leaped, it was adorable. But he really should go find Betty.

“Uh yeah. I… I should… um… Yeah.” Archie said breathlessly. He just hoped it wasn’t too noticeable.

“Uh, good luck.” Jughead said with a nod and began to walk home.

Archie took a shot in the dark.

“You want a ride?”

“Betty!”

Shot missed.

Jughead was gone before he could respond. Archie sighed. But he felt better about this thing between him and his former best friend. Hopefully they were acquaintances now and could slowly start making their way back up to best friends. Then… maybe… more? But even if Jughead never felt the same way, Archie would take what he could get. He smiled and got into his car and drove off towards Betty’s house. Archie got nervous again. He’d have to explain why he didn’t have feelings for her. But if there’s one thing he’d learned about Betty all the years of being best friends-

He knew he could trust her with his life. So he could trust her… with this. Right? Right. Yeah. Duh, of course he can.

He was never worried about not being accepted. He just… never had any reason to bring it up. The fact that he’s bisexual. And possibly in love with his former best friend. He parked at his house, and walked across to Betty’s. Apparently she had seen him and came out. She was still in her dress, but she’d been crying.

Archie felt like the worst person in the whole world. How could he have hurt so many people? First Jughead, now Betty, Miss Grundy _and_ Veronica? He hadn’t even _known_ Veronica that long damn it! How messed up is he? Reggie was the only one that could still be considered his friend, even though they weren’t as close as he was with the others.

Suddenly Archie wanted to cry. But he held it back. He couldn’t do it in front of Betty who’d just been crying herself.

“I’m not gonna ask. What you did with Veronica at Cheryl’s. But I’m asking you now, right now- if you love me Archie? Or even like me?”

Archie swallowed. He can do this. He can do this. Yes he can.

Probably.

“I… did... um… I…”

Or probably not?

Betty shook her head and turned around. No. No, no, no-

“I won’t ever be good enough for you.” She stopped walking, but didn’t turn around. Archie swallowed. He really _had_ liked her before he realized his feelings for Jughead were just a little bit stronger. But then he got left behind and things changed. Things always change. Especially when they’re going good for once. “I just… I can’t seem to live up to expectations. I- I won’t ever be good enough for you, for Jughead or for anyone because I keep screwing up. Somehow I always end up screwing up every good thing in my life. No matter how hard I try to avoid it. It just seems like every single decision I make is wrong.” He’s rambling now, but he can’t stop once he’s started. Plus, Betty has turned back around and is staring at him. Slightly surprised, but slightly not. At what, he’s not sure. His face feels wet which means he’s crying. Shit, the one thing he _didn’t_ want to do. He can’t even do _that_ right. “I hurt Jughead, you, Veronica, I even hurt my dad by lying to him! I’m not good enough for anyone! I just… I just want it to stop. I want it to stop but it won’t. It won’t stop. I don’t seem to be in control of my life anymore. And I don’t know what to do anymore. I just… I don’t know…” His voice cracked and he stopped to try and calm his breathing. “But I-I know I don’t deserve any of you as friends. I don’t deserve anyone as friends. I’d just hurt them. So I understand if- if none of you ever want to speak to me again.”

They lapsed into a silence, and the only thing that could be heard was the wind in the leaves, and Archie’s shaky breathing. And the occasional car in the distance.

He stared at the ground. He couldn’t look up at her. He couldn’t stop the tears from falling. He couldn’t seem to do anything.

“So.” Betty said after a while. He still didn’t look up. “That’s it? You’re just gonna give up?” Archie closed his eyes and shook his head. He took a deep breath to try and calm down.

“I-I don’t want to do that Betty, but… I don’t want to make the wrong choices either. I want to fight, but… I don’t know how.”

Betty surprised him by coming closer. She stopped until she was about a foot away from him. He risked looking at her. He didn’t see shame, or anger, just hurt and sadness. But also understanding.

“This, Archie? Is a start. Talking. Just talk to people. Don’t hide from them. I know talking is hard sometimes. I know what you just said was hard to say. And I am so proud of you for saying it. Don’t you dare ever think that you’re not good enough, or that you’re not worth it ever Archie Andrews. Because you are. You are to so many people. Things just happen sometimes, and it’s often out of our control. And yeah. Maybe we could have done things differently. But no one is perfect Archie. Not even me. There are things that even I wish I had done differently. Things happen the way they do for a reason. So we learn from them. Let’s just hope that we learn from these ones. Good night Archie.” She didn’t smile, but she didn’t frown either. Her expression was neutral.

Archie didn’t get to tell her about his feelings for Jughead like he’d intended, but he’d said other things that had been weighing down on him for a while instead. He felt better, but not like he wanted. He still felt like crap.

But he talked to Betty. He should probably talk to Veronica before Jughead considering that she’s kind of involved in the issue with Betty… Archie sighed and walked back to his house. His dad was asleep already, so he just went upstairs to his room. He didn’t bother changing into pajamas, and just plopped face down onto his bed. He buried his face in his pillow. More tears came. Quietly, more so then when he was at Betty’s.

He doesn’t remember falling asleep, but he woke up by his alarm clock. Maybe today would be different. Maybe things would get better. There’s a knock on his door and his dad enters looking worried.

“Son, they found it.”

Archie sat up slowly. “Found what?”

“Jason’s body. He was shot.”

Shot.

The familiar sound from _that night_ replayed over and over again in his head. Archie felt sick. They could have told someone. Just one more mistake to add to the ever growing list. He didn’t bother changing again, as he was still wearing the suit from the night before.

Everyone was there that morning. Him, Betty, Jughead, Veronica, and of course Cheryl because why wouldn’t she be there? No one knows what had happened other than the fact that Jason Blossom was shot to death. He knew people would be pointing fingers at Cheryl, or the Lodges, but that’d be way too obvious. It wouldn’t be her or the Lodges. But one thing’s for sure. Riverdale was no longer a peaceful ordinary town.

It was a town with secrets, betrayal, and murder.


	2. My Baby Shot Me Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't wait for Monday to post this lol. So I'm posting it early! But the update day will still be Monday. I'm not working right now so I have a lot of free time. But I will have a job soon hopefully, so obviously then I won't have as much time.
> 
> DISCLAIMER!! (I've been forgetting to put this for some reason... so don't sue me!) I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

By Monday, Archie didn’t feel any better than he had Friday night. He’d barely slept all weekend. He kept hearing that gunshot over and over. He kept reliving the conversation that he and Miss Grundy had after. When they agreed to not tell anyone because it would jeopardize _everything_. Her job, his education, their lives in general, _and_ they wouldn’t be able to see each other. Something that meant something then.

But it doesn’t now.

Not to Archie. For him, while he might not have realized it at the time, it was just a way for him to forget about his feelings for his best friend. Going on that trip on the July fourth weekend… Him being alone with Jughead and not being able to do anything to escape his feelings would have been torture. So he bailed. Last minute. Yes, he knows it was wrong. That he shouldn’t have done any of that. Not to his best friend.

Archie sighed at his locker.

“You think I could use Jason’s death as an excuse to not do PE?” Archie looked to see Jughead standing there. _Looking as beautiful as always. Ugh. Stop it Archie._ When he didn’t answer, Jughead continued. “Hey coach, I can’t, I’m too depressed about Jason to do pullups?”

“Come on man, don’t joke like that. Not about someone’s death.” He loved Jughead with all his heart, but there was a line.

“You of all people know that that’s how I deal with things. Sardonic humour.” There was a pause as they glanced at the locker that was once Jason Blossom’s. Jughead cleared his throat. “How are you and Betty? You two talk yet?”

“Uh, yeah last night. And a bit this morning. We’re back to being friends. She and Veronica made up, I talked with her too.”

“That’s good. Ugh, look. It the rich kids from the _Gooney’s_. Alright, I’m out.” Jughead began walking but he bumped into Reggie- one of the uh, _Gooney_ rich kids as Jug had called them. A deep anger flared up in Archie when Reggie insulted Jughead. But both of the other boys walked away before he could say anything.

Later that day the principle made the announcements with Cheryl and the Sheriff. Archie stared at Jason’s picture in the trophy cabinet for a few seconds.

_“If any of you know anything about what happened the night Jason Blossom was killed, please come forward.”_ Archie looked over at the principle’s office. He swallowed and slowly walked over. _“Any information is greatly appreciated.”_ Principle Weatherbee looked at him. SHIT. _Smooth move Arch. Way to get caught!_ Archie left immediately. His heart pounding, his breathing ragged. He needed to calm down. The halls were pretty much empty thank gosh. Archie went to the nearest water fountain and splashed his face a few times.

“Archie.” He looked over at Jughead. “Weirdest thing. This summer we were supposed to go on a road trip. Over the July fourth weekend. Which… you bailed on at the last minute.” Archie swallowed. “Is there something you wanna tell me pal?”

“Um…”

_RING!_

“Class. Gotta… uh, bye.”

During science, he’d decided to partner up with Cheryl. He kind of felt sorry for her after those two girls were questioning her about Jason. “Cheryl, we haven’t talked since summer, I just wanna say that I’m really sorry about your brother.”

“Jason was the best.”

“If there’s anything I can do to help…”

“That’s sweet Archie, but unless you were at the river and know who shot Jason…”

“Do you know if-if they have any leads?”

“What? No you ghoul.” She gave him a glare. “Speaking of _none of your business_ , what’s up with you and Hobo Jones? Weren’t you, what’s the saying? Two peas in a pod? Now you’re avoiding each other like water and oil.”

Archie sighed quietly and glanced at Jughead sitting in front of him. He caught himself staring a second too long. Again, SHIT. And that was in front of _Cheryl_! He cleared his throat quietly. “That- We’re just working stuff out. Friends fight and make up all the time. It’s just a thing friends do. Uh, I know I’m not the best at science, but I can my chance on this if it’s uh, too weird for you.”

“Weird why? _Oh_. You mean because my brother is being dissected with a blade just like this one, possibly at this very moment? Don’t worry.” She pulled out the small blade. “In fact,” She stabbed the frog and the two girls questioning her gasped, and Jughead turned around. “I’m _amazing_!”

Well… okay then… Pairing up with Cheryl might, just _might_ not have been one of his greatest ideas…

***

By the time lunch came Archie headed over to the music room.

“Weatherbee just asked me if I knew anything about Jason. I said I didn’t know anything, but he said that if I did he’d make sure everything was okay.”

“Of _course_ he would. You’re his student.”

“Is- is this- are your feelings real, is any of it?”

There was a moment of silence.

“Yes. It is.” She said quietly, her voice just barely a whisper. Archie swallowed.

“I’m sorry… But I can’t.”

“Can’t what?” Her expression changed as she realized what he meant.

“But, it’s not because I don’t want to, I just… I’m in love with J-someone else. I’m not saying that what we had never meant anything, because it did. I Just… I can’t keep secrets anymore. I can’t keep lying to my friends and to the person I love. They mean more to me than anything. I can’t lose them. My friendship with them is already on the rocks because of…”

“Us.” Miss Grundy finished for him. He nodded.

“I’m sorry. That weekend. I had plans to go on a road trip with them. I bailed last minute because being alone with them would have been torture.”

“You used me as a distraction.” Miss Grundy sighed.

“No. Well, not entirely. I did have feelings for you Geraldine. But my love was just stronger.”

Miss Grundy nodded and sighed again. “I understand. And Archie, I’m sure Mr. Jones would understand as well.”

Archie stared at her. She smiled. “You never said he, she or him or her. Jughead was your best friend for years, it wasn’t hard to figure out. That, and you mentioned going on a road trip with him when we… started. You were excited because it was the first one without parental supervision. You had lied about Betty going so the two of you could do it alone.”

This time Archie sighed. “Oh yeah…”

“Don’t be afraid to talk about these things with your friends and family. Your dad is great. He’ll still love you.”

“No yeah, I- I know. I’ve never been afraid of telling him, I- it just has never been brought up. So I never said anything. And as for the gunshot… I’m going to tell them. _I_ was there, _I_ heard it, and chose to leave instead of doing something. Just me. I was out running, took a breather at the lake, and heard it. I was alone, or thought I was alone.”

Miss Grundy stared at him for a bit. “You’d do that?”

“Yeah. I can’t keep it in anymore, and I don’t want you to lose your job, so, I was alone. Out jogging. I jog once in a while so it’s not like it’s unbelievable. I might not have feelings for you anymore, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”

Miss Grundy sighed. “Archie… quite frankly… You’re being a lot nicer to me than I deserve. It was my idea and I know that was wrong. This whole thing was wrong. In fact I _should_ be fired. But this… teaching, it’s all I have. It’s what I want to do until I retire. I won’t be able to find another teaching job if we come clean.” Archie pulled her in for a hug.

“I won’t let that happen. Don’t worry.”

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful for Archie, but Betty and Veronica seemed to be fighting again. Kevin didn’t tell him much when he asked, just that he shouldn’t get involved. Which was fine by him. He didn’t want to cause any more trouble. Betty was already upset with him. He didn’t need to add any more.

Later that evening after football practice, Archie found Jughead sitting on the front steps of his house. Not looking very happy. Uh oh.

“Jug, uh, hey. What’s up?”

“What’s up, is that I saw you Archie. In the music room. With Miss Grundy.”

“That’s nothing-”

“Well it sure looked like something.”

“No, I mean, it was- but it also wasn’t!” Archie added before Jughead could walk away. “Let me explain. Please.” Jughead eyed him carefully, but eventually nodded. “Okay. Earlier in the summer… we might have had… something.”

“Something.”

“Yeah…”

“Describe, and _please_ not in _great_ detail, _something_.”

“We were together. Like, like dating? Kind of? I know it’s bad. We both do. We agreed that it was a mistake and ended it.”

“How long?”

“Huh?”

“How long were you and… just… how long?”

“Just for a few weeks. About a week after school ended up to the… July fourth weekend…” Archie trailed off and Jughead frowned. Archie swallowed the lump in his throat.

“You bailed on me because you were heartbroken over the music teacher?”

Archie glanced at the house to make sure his dad wasn’t there. “Not exactly… We uh, had a date planned that morning and went to the river.” He took a deep breath. “We heard a gunshot. Probably _the_ gunshot that killed Jason. We agreed to not tell anyone, and stop what we were doing.”

Jughead stared at him for a few seconds.

“You didn’t tell anyone about the gunshot.” Before Archie could explain, he continued. “Archie, this isn’t you. You need to tell them. The Archie I know wouldn’t lie and walk away and keep secrets from his friends.”

“Jughead please-”

“Hey Arch, oh, hi Jughead.” Archie’s father stood in the doorway holding a phonebook. “Wanna stay for dinner? I was just gonna order from Pop’s.”

“Uh, no. I was just leaving. I gotta watch Jellybean while the parents are out. But thanks.”

“You’re welcome to come over anytime, your sister too.”

“Thanks…” Jughead gave Archie one last glance and walked away. Archie watched him go. The only thing he saw was the hurt in Jughead’s eyes.

“Archie? Did I interrupt something?”

Archie cleared his throat. “Uh, no. It’s fine. I- I’ll just have a double cheese burger combo. And a milkshake.”

“Alright.” His father didn’t seem convinced- he usually never was. But he left it at that. They went inside and Archie just went up to his room. He laid on his bed and instantly texted Jughead the rest of the story.

He never replied.

Which means, he didn’t look at it.

It was only when he started eating that he realized what he’d ordered.

Jughead’s favourite.

The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach came back. He screwed up _again_. He can’t do anything right!

The next day he felt like hell. Jughead had been avoiding him all morning. It wasn’t until lunch when he found him in the student lounge. But he didn’t know if he could say anything with all of the other students around. Someone could overhear them. It’d have to be after school.

Then Reggie started talking.

Well, okay, he’d been talking the whole time. But then he started talking about Jason Blossom and who he thinks killed him.

He was talking about-

“Like Jughead. What was it like Suicide Squad?” Reggie smirked as everyone looked over at Jughead who glared back. “When you shot Jason? You didn’t _do_ stuff to the body, like, after?”

“It’s called Necrophilia Reggie. Can you spell it?”

Reggie hopped over the couch and charged him. “Come here you little-” Archie pushed him back.

“Just shut the hell up Reggie.”

“Boys.” Veronica warned as she stood up.

“Why do you care Andrews? You left him in the dust.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh my _god_. Did you two team up? What, hatch some crazy scheme and sneak off into the dark with a gun? Was it some kind of blood brother thing?”

Pure hate and anger raged through Archie’s body like a hurricane.

For a split second, Reggie actually looked worried.

Then…

Well Archie doesn’t really know what happened after that. He can’t seem to remember. The next thing he knew, was being taken to the nurse’s office. He didn’t know who was helping him, but could only assume that it was either Veronica or Betty. Or even Kevin.

When he woke up though- and he did not remember passing out- he did not expect to see Jughead sitting next to his bed holding an ice pack.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like hell.”

Jughead smiled, and it was the first smile Archie had seen all year. He was sure his heart skipped a beat. After what felt like hours, he finally found his voice again. “Uh, what happened?”

“I take it you don’t remember anything.” Archie shook his head. That was a bad idea. He sighed and leaned back into the pillow as Jughead handed him the ice pack. “Reggie slammed you against the vending machine and you hit your head pretty hard. Then he punched you a few times. Thankfully, that’s all that happened before Moose and a few other guys pulled him off of you. I brought you here while Veronica and the others went to tell Mr. Weatherbee.”

Archie looked at him, surprised. “You… didn’t have to stay.” Jughead hesitated.

“I wanted to. I uh… I got your text. I just… didn’t know how to respond properly. Texting didn’t seem write, and I couldn’t figure out the words-”

“Jug, hey.” Archie said gently. His friend stopped and looked at him. “I know you, it’s okay.” Jughead swallowed and nodded. He looked like he wanted to say something, but was holding back. “You okay?”

Jughead breathed in deeply. “Just before the fight… you… had this _look_ in your eyes. Like… like you wanted to kill him.”

That he remembered. That burning rage that didn’t seem to end until he couldn’t see straight.

“No one goes after my friends like that and gets away with it.” he said. It was only half of the truth, but it wasn’t a lie. The other half being because he was in love with Jughead. Jughead glanced down.

“Um… thanks.”

Archie wasn’t sure, because he probably had a concussion, but he might have seen a little bit of pink in Jughead’s cheeks. It totally could have just been in his head though. But he smiled nonetheless.

“Hey you going to the game on Friday?” he asked. Jughead snorted.

“Are _you_ going to the game on Friday?” Archie chuckled.

“Despite this, probably. You?”

“Probably.”

“Good. I like it when you buy out the whole concession stand and hoard all the food for yourself.”

Jughead laughed and it was like music. “That the only reason?”

“Well, and the support. I don’t know how much I’ll be getting from my other friends…”

“More than you probably think actually.”

“What? Why?”

“Because of the fight. I wasn’t the only one that saw the pure hatred in you Arch. I think you actually _scared_ Reggie. Being an observer, I have observed that most of Reggie’s friends, don’t actually like him. They only tolerate him, and don’t know how to handle him. You did them a favour. They’re thankful for that. That someone’s able to stand up to him. They might not say it, but that’s what they think.”

“Wow… I didn’t notice.”

“No offense, but it’s no secret that you’re pretty oblivious.”

“Hey!”

“To most things anyway.”

“That- okay. Maybe some things. I’m not as oblivious as everyone seems to think! I just don’t point stuff out.”

“Okay, okay. You’re not _totally_ oblivious.”

By the end of the day, Archie was free to go.

“Ooh…” his dad said as he walked into the house. Archie had grabbed an ice pack for his eye and was currently at the kitchen table. He was thinking about what he was going to say to Weatherbee about the gunshot. “I don’t wanna ask, but did you and Jughead get into a fight?”

“Uh, no. It was a fight with Reggie. He was picking on Jughead like he usually does, but he went too far this time.”

“Hm…”

“He was saying stuff about Jason Blossom, and that he thinks that Jug did it. Just because he’s different. No one else was standing up for him. And I just got… _so_ angry. I’ve never felt… that before. It was blinding.”

His father smiled. “That tends to happen when you’re in love with someone.” Archie looked up at him.

“You… know?” As if he needed it confirmed. Of course his father knows. He knows everything Archie does.

“Of course. Might have known before you figured it out. It was just the way you look at Jughead. It’s different than the way you look at everyone else.” Archie smiled.

“He’s just… I like that he’s different. And he can be really sweet. I like how down to earth he is. How calm he is even when he’s mad. He definitely wouldn’t have fought Reggie, he would have tried to get out of it. Or he would have won. Reggie may be strong, but Jughead is observant. He knows people’s weaknesses.”

“He is a great kid. And while I don’t approve of you fighting Reggie, sometimes that’s the only way to get through to someone who’s… well… for lack of a better word, an ass.” Fred and Archie chuckled. “But just try talking first next time, okay? Love may be strong, but our conscience should be stronger.”

“Yeah. I will. Thanks dad.” Archie hesitated. “Do you think I should tell Jughead how I feel?”

“What you do is up to you, but if you really want to tell him, wait until you know you’re ready for it. If you do it too soon, and he doesn’t feel the same way, you might take it harder than you would if you were ready. But, I know that if you don’t say anything at all, you might just regret it one day.”

Archie nodded. “You always know what to say.”

“Comes with the job of being a father.”

“I feel like it’s our job as the kid to screw up so you can actually say it.”

Fredrick smiled and laughed. “Maybe, but you’re young. You’re still learning. We make mistakes, and we learn from them. Sometimes we can’t control what happens, but that’s just life. Sometimes it’s just not fair. But despite what happens, we can always try to make up for it and move on.” He paused briefly. “And, I know that Betty was never going on that road trip.”

“Of course you did, you’re my dad.”

“And I know that your feelings for Jug are why you bailed on that road trip.” Archie looked down and swallowed. He still felt guilty about that. He hadn’t told his dad that he bailed, just that they had to reschedule. “Love can be a scary thing, but it’s also wonderful. I don’t want you missing out on anything. Don’t feel guilty because you were afraid. Jughead would understand.”

“Yeah… Thanks.”

***

The rest of the week was uneventful. Betty and Veronica were still fighting sadly, but Archie and Jughead were on their way to being friends again. By the time it was game day, Archie felt good. Really good. He hadn’t felt this good since he and Jughead had planned the road trip that never happened. The football field was crowded, seemed like the whole town was there. Which totally could have been true. Riverdale didn’t have that many high schools, it was a small town. Archie spotted Miss Grundy by the drinks, and Jughead by the food stand. He walked over to Miss Grundy first.

“I’m gonna tell Mr. Weatherbee Monday first thing before class.” he said quietly.

“Alright. You know what you’re going to say?” Miss Grundy glanced around to make sure no one was listening in.

“Yeah. And you won’t be mentioned, don’t worry.” She nodded and smiled.

“What about Jughead? Are you telling him anything?”

“I will. Someday. When I’m ready.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

Archie headed over to where Jughead was eating a bag of popcorn. He smiled. “What, you’re on a diet now?” Jughead snorted.

“I’m waiting until everyone arrives and had the chance to get something. The whole town knows me by now, it’s not my fault if they forget to get snacks first before sitting.”

“That’s so generous of you.”

“I try.” Jughead shrugged, and smiled.

_I could kiss you right now_ … Archie smiled at the thought. _He’s so beautiful._

“You say something?” Jughead asked as he tilted his head to the side.

“What? No!” Panic rose up, and his pulse sped up along with it. SHIT, did he say that outloud? “Uh, just thinking about the game, and uh, the weather. Beautiful right?”

“The weather. Arch, it’s raining.”

“Yeah. I like the rain. You know that.”

“I guess yeah… you’re weird.”

“I’m weird? Jug, you can eat the whole concession stand in one sitting if you wanted.”

“Weird in a _good_ way, duh.”

“Well good. Uh, guess I should get going. I’ll meet you at Pop’s later right?”

“Yeah. You’re buying since I’ll have no cash after the game.”

“Yeah I figured. See ya.”

That night seemed perfect. Except for Cheryl running off. When she did, Archie felt bad and guilty again, since he was wearing Jason’s shirt. Cheryl saw his ghost. Why did Archie have to be the one to wear the same shirt as the only other redheaded boy at Riverdale High? It didn’t seem right before, and now it just seemed cruel. But Veronica had comforted her, and she and Betty finally made up. The four of them, Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead had a good time at Pop’s. The restaurant closed at one, but Pop let them linger. He knew his customers well.

By Monday, that night seemed so far away. Archie made his way over to the principle’s office. He stopped a few feet away from the door and took a deep breath. But just before he was about to knock, Mr. Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller walked out. He followed them.

They were headed to the science rooms. His first class.

They walked out of the class room with Cheryl, each man holding an arm.

As if they were arresting her.

However, as shocking as that was, that wasn’t the most troubling part. The most troubling part was the autopsy results. Jason Blossom had died a week _after_ the July fourth weekend. But… if that’s when he died…

Then what was the gunshot he and Miss Grundy heard?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Here's what I think went down on the July fourth weekend. I think Cheryl and Jason had something planned. Jason was going to fake his death so they could get attention or something, and then come back. Which is why Cheryl said "He was supposed to come back" to Veronica. Then low and behold, something went wrong and he didn't come back like they had planned.  
> What are your theories about that weekend? And what's up with Betty's mom? She's just a crazy control freak right?


	3. He Wore Black, and I Wore White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JUGHEAD FINALLY ATE SOMETHING IN THIS EPISODE AAAAAAAAAAH!
> 
> lol Anyway.
> 
> Thought it would was easier to do this episode in Jughead's POV. So you get Jughead's POV. :D
> 
> Also, yes, I'm gonna try to get as many lines from "Bang, Bang" (by Cher,) as chapter titles. In case you hadn't noticed that's what they were from. They obviously won't be in order of the song. :D

Guilt. Innocence. Good. Evil. Life. Death. As the shadows around Riverdale deepened, the lines that separated these polar opposites blurred and distorted.

_“I’m guilty._ ” Cheryl said in biology class. But of what?

Of lying.

She’d lied about a few things that had happened that night. Jason didn’t die then. Their canoe never capsized. Jason was going to fake his death, and send Cheryl a message when he was safe. He wanted out of Riverdale. Out of his life. But why? Why was he so desperate to leave his supposedly perfect life behind for one of lies, secrets, and new identities? Or at least, that’s what he would have gotten had he not died about a week later.

Jughead sighed as he walked down the hallway of Riverdale high. So many questions, so little time. Finally he arrived at the place he was headed. He leaned against the doorway.

“If print journalism is _dead_ , what am I doing here?” he asked. Betty had asked him to help out with something, but never specified. Only mentioned which room to meet her in. The good old Blue and Gold newspaper of Riverdale High. The thing that he’d said was dead. He stepped into the room. Betty stepped forward from leaning against one of the tables.

“The Blue and Gold isn’t _dead_ Juggie, it’s just… dormant. But it’s waking up.” Betty said and leaned over another desk. Jughead idly reached over and grabbed a pen from many in a jar and twirled it in his fingers for a few seconds. “You’re writing a novel, right? About Jason Blossom’s murder.” Jughead put the pen down, and grabbed a magnifying glass.

“I am.” He held up the magnifying glass in front of him and peered through it. “Riverdale’s very own. In cold blood.”

“Which started out, as a series of articles.” Betty smiled and brushed a hand against one of the super old dinosaur computers that was still around for some reason. “I’m hoping that you could come write for the Blue and Gold.”

“I just don’t think the school newspaper is the best fit for my voice.” Jughead said with a sigh.

“Oh- Juggie. Jason’s death changed Riverdale. People don’t wanna admit that, but, it’s true. We all feel it. Nothing this _bad_ was ever supposed to happen here, but it did. I wanna know why.”

Jughead contemplated this for a few seconds. He’s not really one to step out of his comfort zone. That zone being working by himself for himself. Not with others, or for others. But technically speaking, he and Betty are after the same things. The answers. Jughead held back a sigh. “Will I have complete freedom?”

“Uh, w- I’ll help. And edit. And suggest. Uh, but it’s _your_ story. It’s your voice.” Betty said with a shrug.

Jughead scoffed, but there was no bite to it. “It doesn’t _sound_ like complete freedom. But…” Betty gave him one of her hopeful looks. “I’m in.” She clasped her hands together and smiled widly.

“Okay great! Um, in that case I have your first assignment. There’s one person that was there at the river on July fourth, that no one’s talking about.” Jughead nodded.

“Dilton Doily and his scouts.”

“Exactly.”

Jughead nodded and walked off. He still wasn’t sure if this was a good idea or not, but it would help with getting answers. And it would help with his book.

Okay. Yeah. He’s doing this.

He turned a corner and passed the music room- he glanced at it and sighed. He kept going. He couldn’t think about _that_ now. Or _ever_. It was disgusting! Archie is only sixteen! She’s in her what, forties? Fifties? Veronica is not a slut. If anything, it’s that fricking cougar. She was messing with Archie. Before the summer Archie was one of the most innocent teenage boys Riverdale had. He’d never even kissed anyone before! That freaking cougar stole his first kiss! And probably other… firsts. Ugh.

“No-”

Archie. Huh. Jughead stopped in his tracks and turned in the direction his friend’s voice came from. He came to one of the empty English class rooms. Archie was on the phone with someone.

“No, look. It’s fine. It won’t get back to you. But you have to stop contacting me. I can’t do this okay? I can’t. It’s way too hard, and it’s not right. _And_ I don’t even have feelings for you. I thought you were cool with this!”

Jughead frowned and moved closer to the wall, but stayed out of the doorway. Was he talking to Grundy? He thought Archie broke it off- which- clearly he had judging by what he’s now saying.

“Look, just stop. It’s fine. They won’t know. But I can’t love you. I’m sorry, but I can’t. I love him, okay? You know that. I love _him_. I’m in love with _him_.”

Holy shit.

Him? Who was- _him_? Did Archie like a guy? Like- like _that_? Was he gay, or bisexual? Actually, scratch that. If he really was in love with a dude, he’s probably bi. Jughead knows Archie’s been “in love” with girls before. But why hasn’t Archie ever told him? It’s not like he’d judge. Nor would the girls, or even Kevin? He’d probably be able to give some advice on how to handle it.

“I’m gone too far to love anyone else right now. He’s the only one on my mind.” Wow. Archie was in it deep. Whoever this guy is, is one lucky dude. But who is he? Jughead ran through every possible guy Archie could like- including himself and Kevin- but no one really fit the bill. Not even himself. Not that he cares. Jughead’s never really felt anything for anyone. But that doesn’t mean he can’t. He’s still trying to figure himself out though.

“Please. Stop this. You know it’s not right. If you...” Archie hesitated. “If you don’t stop then I _will_ tell people.” Grundy must have hung up because Archie sighed, and Jughead heard him sit down in a desk. Jughead swallowed. His friend was in some deep shit.

Jughead backed up and went another way. He’ll deal with that later. He had a mission to complete.

He found Dilton and his scouts at their building. He walked up to the head scout just as he’d finished a speech.

“At ease, Doily. I’m writing an article for the Blue and Gold. I’m hoping you could help.” Jughead said. Dilton stiffened. Interesting.

“Dismissed!” he shouted to his scouts. “But stay close.”

“Cheryl and Archie both say they heard a gunshot the morning of July fourth. They don’t know who fired.”

“Sherriff Keller already asked me about this. And like I told him, my scouts and I, we didn’t hear anything _weird_.”

“Well,” Jughead took a step closer, “did you _see_ anything weird?”

“A White Wing Crossbill, a Long Eared Owl-” Jughead glanced over at the scouts, one of them looked nervously at him. Hmm... Dilton’s the wrong person he should be talking to. “Oh. And _Cheryl_. Sitting by the river, soaking wet.” Jughead glared at him, and he glared back. “Anything else?”

“I’m good. I’ve got what I needed from you. Good day Doily.” Jughead glanced at the scouts, and the one that was looking at him caught his eye just for a second. Dilton didn’t seem notice thankfully. Well, that was one thing taken care of. Sort of anyway… He’ll deal with the scout some other time.

Right _now_ , he had to find Archie. He needed to talk to his friend about what he’d heard. If Grundy won’t leave him alone, then he needs to tell someone. It wasn’t right. It was gross, and creepy. Plus, if Miss Grundy’s willing to have sex with a sixteen year old, then who knows what _else_ she’s willing to do? Archie could be in danger!

After a while, Jughead finally found him in the lounge.

“Hey Jug, what’s up?” Archie asked, looking up from his guitar.

“We should talk somewhere more privately.”

Archie frowned, but followed him anyway. They went into an empty class room- and Jughead made _sure_ it was empty- and he closed the door. “You okay? What’s wrong?” Archie set his guitar down on a desk and sat on top of another.

“It’s not about me. Okay. I was walking by the English rooms earlier, and _may_ have overheard a phone call?” Jughead shrugged sheepishly, and Archie tensed up. The other boy swallowed and glanced at the door.

“How… how much did you hear?” he asked quietly. Jughead sighed.

“I don’t know when the call started Arch, so I’m not entirely sure really. Archie-” he hesitated, “is she not leaving you alone?” Archie swallowed and stayed quiet. “If she isn’t then you really need to tell someone. What she’s doing to you is illegal!” Archie looked down.

“I know. I just… I don’t know. It’s like- when I see her in the halls, and helping students, I just see her as normal. Like she’s a normal person that doesn’t deserve to get fired. And she wasn’t cruel or anything when we… were… But she’s acting really weird now. Like she’s super paranoid or something.” Archie ran a hand through his already messy hair.

“Or a super psycho! Look, dude. She took away like, all of your _firsts_ dude. First kiss, first date, first relationship, first… sex… time… thing. Ugh, look. It doesn’t matter if she was nice or not. Something snapped, and she’s not like that _now_. You’ve gotta try and reprogram your brain man. She’s not who everyone thinks she is.”

Archie sighed. “I know. I’m trying, but it’s hard.”

“I can help. Like maybe if I see you looking at her I’ll pinch you really hard or something.”

Archie chuckled. “God how the hell did I manage to lose someone like you for a while?” They shared a smile, but then Archie looked nervous again. “Hey um… what uh, what _else_ did you uh, overhear?” Jughead glanced down.

“I might have overheard _that_. Yeah… You know I don’t care right? But why didn’t you tell me?”

Archie sighed. “At the time I was figuring it out- well I still sort of am. Like I don’t really know what I am, but I know who I like. Anyway, I just realized I… had feelings for this guy, a little bit before our fight. So I was trying to figure stuff out when we weren’t speaking to each other…”

“Oh…” Jughead frowned realizing that he wasn’t there for his friend when he needed one. Not wanting to think any deeper about that, he continued. “So…”

“Please don’t ask?”

“Who is he?”

“Ugh…”

“Please tell me it isn’t _Dilton_.”

“Hell no! He’s nice and all- actually no. He’s sort of a prick, so, _no_.”

“Kevin?”

“No. Dude, I don’t think you’re gonna get it.”

“Moose?”

“Nope.”

“Dear god- Someone from the football team?”

“No! Don’t be stupid, those guys are assholes.”

“Then who?!”

“Not gonna say, and you’re not gonna guess. Also, when you’re referring to one’s first time having sex- we just say ‘ _first time_ ’.”

“Shut up.”

Archie laughed. He seemed to be doing better. Good. Jughead liked it when his friends _weren’t_ upset. And if making fun of Jughead did the trick- then so be it. He’d sacrifice a little to gain a lot. That’s what friends are for.

“It’s at least no one you should be worried about. They’re cool.” Archie shrugged, still smiling.

“Well, good. Didn’t want to have to beat them up if they broke you.”

“I’m not entirely sure how that would be possible…” Jughead knows that Archie’s never sure about a lot of stuff, but come on. He can fight someone if he wanted. He knows how to look for weaknesses. Plus, he _does_ have some muscle. It might not be _noticeable_ , in any way, but it’s there.

“What do you mean? Are you saying I’m weak?”

“Well, no. But you do eat burgers all day and somehow manage to get out of doing gym class. Which, how _do_ you do that by the way?”

“A magician never reveals their secrets.”

“Sure. So…”

“What?” Jughead eyed him suspiciously. He smirked, which is never good.

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Come on Jug. Do you like anyone?” Jughead frowned. Ah. That’s what he meant.

“Me? Nah. No one would be interested in me like that anyway.” Archie gave a soft smile. He was acting really weird lately. Aside from the whole Grundy thing. Well, he was mainly acting weird around Jughead. Being an observer, he’s learned that he’s totally normal with everyone else- again- aside from Grundy. He can’t figure out why either. Did this have to do with them splitting up for a few months? It’s the only reason Jughead can think of. Or was it this guy that he’s in love with? Plus, why won’t he tell Jughead who it is? It irks him to no end. He can’t even figure out who it is damn it.

“You’re so weird. Anyway, I gotta jet. I have to question a questionable Grizzly Scout.”

“See ya tomorrow! Uh, hey Jug?” Jughead turned around. “Thanks.” Archie smiled, and Jughead smiled back. He waved as he left and headed towards his destination. He had a while before he was going to question that scout, but that meant that he could snag a few snacks.

Later that night, Jughead trudged his way into Pop’s. The scout he was after was with his father, who had just gotten up to pay the bill. And left his son with a delicious looking sundae. Sweet. Pun intended. Jughead leaped onto the seats across from the scout. He picked up the cherry that was just begging to be eaten.

“What the hell man?” the scout said.

“I saw the way you looked at me.” Jughead reached over and took a spare spoon- that was probably meant for the scout’s dad, but whatever- and delicately moved the dessert over to himself. “During Grizzly training?” He dug the spoon into the ice cream and pointed it towards the scout. “You’re hiding something.”

“It’s Scout Master Doily. He’s lying.”

“About what?” Jughead asked as he continued to eat the sundae.

“The gunshot. It was him.” Jughead eyed him carefully. “He was teaching us how to shoot targets.”

Jughead leaned in closer. “Dilton _Doily_ shot the gun on July Fourth?”

“He’s a hard core survivalist. He says if we don’t protect ourselves, no one will.”

Finally. There’s one answer. Dilton’s got more guts than Jughead originally thought. He didn’t think the kid could fire a gun, but, guess he was wrong.

A little later, Jughead went over to the Taste of Riverdale- hey- free food- well mostly. You had to pay to get in, but he had enough cash. He was also going because Dilton was going. It’d be easier to track him down here rather than at school. Jughead didn’t know the nerd’s schedule. Or anyone that would know aside from teachers. He usually avoids teachers. He doesn’t like all the attention because he’s at the top of his class. Or the lectures about being lazy. Like they know anything. Anyway.

Jughead took the stairs up to the balcony to scout out- heh pun, yeah okay, he likes a good pun every now and then, so sue him- Dilton. Archie- despite being grounded snuck up a few minutes later.

“Was it _really_ worth it dude? Sneaking out for some locally-sourced Munster?” Jughead asked and gave a half glance in his friend’s direction.

“Totally man! I helped write it!”

Jughead chuckled and glanced over at him. Archie was looking down at someone. Jughead followed his gaze as it landed on- _her_.

Jughead pinched Archie. Hard.

“Ow! What the hell?” Archie exclaimed quietly.

“What? You said I could help.”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Jughead honestly couldn’t tell if that was sarcasm or not.

“Ooh, Cheryl’s mom just punched Betty’s!” Jughead winced as the scene played out.

“Wow. Okay, now coming here was even _more_ worth it, damn. Don’t get on Mrs. Blossom’s bad side.” Archie flinched.

“Yeah no kidding. I’d hate to be Betty’s mom right now. Although, to be honest, she probably does not care whatsoever.” Jughead said. He spotted Dilton with his family, but decided to wait and hear the song first. Josie took the punch as a chance to get it started, which was pretty smart.

_“Paintings on her skin, colours in her hair-”_

Archie looked over at Jughead for approval after quite a few seconds into the song. Jughead shrugged and gave a smile. “Not bad.” They listened for a few more seconds. “Hey, are you still not going to tell me who you’re in love with?”

“Nope.”

“Alright, fine. I’d love to stay, but I gotta shake down an evil Adventure Scout.” Jughead patted Archie’s back as he left and took the stairs two at a time. He kept his eyes on Dilton who hadn’t noticed he’s being watched. He cleared his throat as he stood beside the other boy. Dilton looked over and paled.

“I talked to one of your scouts. I know you fired the gun. Which makes you both a liar, and a public menace.” Jughead said and Dilton sighed.

“So what if I did? I was doing the Adventure Scouts a favour. Somebody’s gotta teach them how to stand their ground the way this town is going-”

“Save it for your statement. Which you can make to Sherriff Keller, or to me. I suggest the latter. Blue and Gold offices. Tomorrow.

The next morning, Dilton was there as he said and met Jughead and Betty in the print room.

“If you publish a story saying I fired that gun, my life will be ruined. I'll be banished from the Adventure Scouts, and charged with a misdemeanor. So, what if I have a better story? If I tell you what I know, promise me the gunshot stays between us.”

“You have our word.” Betty said. “As journalists.”

“I saw something at Sweetwater River. Something nobody else saw.” Dilton started. Jughead and Betty glanced at each other.

“Ms. Grundy's car. By the river's edge. She was there.”

Shit.

Despite all of our recent troubles, Jughead would've done anything to protect Archie. But Dilton Doiley had just opened Pandora's box, and now, there was nothing Jughead, or anyone, could do to save him.

Suddenly the door burst open and in came Kevin, Veronica, Ethel and Cheryl with Chuck, Moose and Reggie behind them.

“Have you guys seen Archie?” Kevin asked worriedly.

“What? No, we’ve been here.” Betty said. “What’s wrong, is he okay?”

“I just want to say, that while I know I’ve been a dick, I’d never do something like this. Not this. This is too far.” Chuck said to her. She glared at him.

“He’s telling the truth.” Kevin said. “Trust me.”

“But whoever did this, needs to be punished.” Cheryl said determinedly.

“Whoa, guys.” Jughead said, “What the hell is happening?”

They all looked at each other. Kevin pulled out his phone. “Someone uploaded a recording of Archie talking to someone on Twitter. The Riverdale gossip page? It was an anonymous account.” Jughead tensed up. He knew it before he even saw it. What the recording was. Kevin pressed play.

_“I can’t love you. I’m sorry, but I can’t. I love him, okay? You know that. I love him. I’m in love with him. I’m gone too far to love anyone else right now. He’s the only one on my mind.”_

That was the whole recording. Nothing else. There’s at least that. Nothing about Grundy thank gosh.

Jughead glanced at Betty, but her face was blank.

“Whoever did this just outed him. I’d never do that.” Chuck said.

“You _wouldn’t_.” Betty said, her face still neutral. Jughead would give her one for her acting skills. He knew she was upset, what with her crush on Archie and all.

“ _No_. We wouldn’t. We swear.” Reggie said. “We _may_ tease people and make fun of them, but we’d never purposely _out_ someone like this.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s basically racism. Plus, Reggie’s bi. He gets it. Don’t worry, he’s out already.” Chuck said, and Reggie nodded. Well. That’s a surprising fact they never knew. Wow. Reggie was bi? Oh. And _hello_ not to mention the fact that they don’t bully gay people or any of the sort. Huh. Jughead seriously never would have guessed.

“So there’s just one question now.” Jughead said.

“Who shot and uploaded the video?” Dilton said.

“Who hurt Archie?” Betty said, she now looked mad more than anything.

“That’s uh, that’s two questions.” Reggie said. Everyone stared at him. He cleared his throat.

“Sorry.”

That aside- now they had two mysteries. The main one that was Jason’s murder, and the side one. Archie’s enemy.

Who had it out for Archie?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the last chapter was all like- "Okay you know what? Ms. Grundy really isn't that bad in the comic books, maybe we should try and redeem her."  
> Then this chapter was all like- "Nah. That's dumb and boring. Let's make her crazy!!"  
> So...  
> Yeah... I'm going that way apparently lol.  
> I'm predicting that either the whole Archie/Grundy thing will get revealed next episode, or Grundy will say she fired the gun. But then I realized, the gun thing probably won't really work out for her either... so... I'm not really sure what will happen. What are your guys' theories? :D


	4. He Would Always Win the Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh... I'm sorry?
> 
>  
> 
> (Kind of but not really. If you're a fan fiction writer- you know how it is.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOOOOOOO! IT'S AFTER MIDNIGHT WHERE I AM! Which means it's Tuesday.  
> Damn it.  
> Sorry about that. :(  
> I thought I could get it done before midnight, but oh well.  
> Anyway-
> 
> I never thought that I'd stray from Archie and Jughead's POV, but low and behold, here's Kevin! We got a little bit more of him in this last episode, so I wanted to explore his character a bit. :D

Kevin Keller walked down the halls of Riverdale High. He searched the hallways, but luck wasn’t on his side at the moment. He sighed and dug out his phone.

**Group Text: Kevin, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Moose, Reggie, Cheryl, Chuck, Dilton, Ethel**

**Kevin: hey, have u guys seen him yet? I’m not having any luck in the main hallways.**

**Betty: No, he’s not in the lounge, or the courtyard.**

**Ronnie: Nor the football field, or the music room.**

**Ethel: Not the printing room, or any of the class rooms. Also, don’t go into b214.**

**Reggie: Why?**

**Ethel: Just… uh… the poetry club is meeting in there right now… just don’t… Not to hate on poetry or anything… but, yeah.**

**Moose: Alright then…**

**Reggie: They always were a little weird.**

**Jughead: He’s not in the café, or at Pop’s, or the drive-in theater.**

**Cheryl: Are you actually looking for him or are you pigging out like usual?**

**Jughead: Hey. I know my priorities okay? I know my best friend.**

**Cheryl: Whatever. He’s not in the gym, the pool, or the park.**

**Reggie: He’s not in any of the locker rooms, or the parking lot.**

**Dilton: not at the river either.**

**Dilton: Wait, why would he be in the _girl’s_ locker room?**

**Reggie: I dunno, girls can be bullies too man.**

**Dilton: fair point.**

**Ronnie: This doesn’t make any sense. Where the hell is he?**

**Kevin: Any luck Chuck?**

**Chuck: NEVER say that again man. And no. He’s not in the principal’s office, or the Sherriff’s office.**

**Jughead: Are _you_ actually looking for him, or is your punishment still being discussed?**

**Chuck: uh… bit of both. I kind of can’t talk right now actually, they’re confiscating my phone.**

**Cheryl: Serves you right anyhow. Are we sure he isn’t at home? Like what if he’s sick?**

**Betty: I checked this morning, he left like usual. And he’s not answering any of my texts.**

**Kevin: Which means he might not have left to go to _school_.**

**Jughead: Wait. I might know where he is.**

**Moose: really? Cuz he’s not in the mall, or his dad’s work.**

**Jughead: oh wait no. never mind. Scratch that.**

**Kevin: Okay then… Ooh, any one check the nurse’s office or the library?**

**Reggie: On it!**

**Cheryl: I checked with Josie, and she hasn’t seen him either. Nor has any of his teachers.**

**Betty: This is so weird. He had left like usual. Where the hell did he go?**

**Reggie: not the library or the nurse’s office. Where the hell can the only clumsy, forgetful, redheaded idiot in town hide?**

**Cheryl: While you may be an idiot, I appreciate the fact that you didn’t generalize all of us redheads.**

**Reggie: Hey, I don’t generalize. Most of the time.**

**Cheryl: Noted.**

**Chuck: Well, part of my punishment is to help you guys find Andrews and whoever posted that recording.**

**Ronnie: My mom said that she’ll keep an eye out for him, Pop’s too. And Smithers.**

**Moose: Who’s Smithers?**

**Ronnie: No one you need to know.**

**Moose: Okay.**

**Reggie: HEY! I’M NOT AN IDIOT!**

**Chuck: No offense man, but that kind of took you a while.**

**Reggie: I was _looking for Archie._ Sorry if I’m not on my phone 24/7 unlike _some_ people.**

**Chuck: Okay, okay I give.**

**Kevin: Focus guys. We’re on a mission here.**

**Dilton: Checked every single park trail, hiking trail, and he’s not on _any_ of them.**

**Jughead: He’s not with the Southside Serpents gang.**

Kevin stared at the message for quite some time before responding. The message seemed to have broken everyone’s minds for a solid minute. It had been a while before anyone had said anything.

**Kevin: Why… why would you check with them?**

Then everyone else exploded.

**Betty: Why would Archie be with _them_ in the first place?**

**Reggie: Despite Archie being somewhat dimwitted, he’s sure as hell smart enough to stay away from those guys!**

**Cheryl: Nobody’s _that_ stupid Jones.**

**Moose: They are seriously bad news man.**

**Chuck: Even _I_ wouldn’t mess with them.**

**Dilton: You know how many illegal things those guys have done in the past _month_?**

**Ethel: You could have been _hurt_ or something!**

**Jughead: Nah they know me.**

**Ronnie: Yeah. They know Dilton too that won’t stop them from pushing him around.**

**Dilton: Hey! That was supposed to be between us!**

**Ronnie: Oops… uh, sorry! But it proves my point!**

**Dilton: I’m never trusting you with anything ever again.**

**Ronnie: Damn it…**

**Jughead: Okay… But guys, it’s _fine_. I mean, we gotta check every place Riverdale has to offer if he’s not in every other place Riverdale has to offer.**

**Ethel: Wait, how’d you even get to them? Weren’t you just at Pop’s?**

**Jughead: They came by.**

**Ethel: uh huh… okay.**

**Dilton: None of my scouts had seen him all day, but they’ll keep an eye out.**

**Cheryl: Are we sure he didn’t leave, then decide to go home?**

**Betty: I guess I can go back and check.**

**Jughead: I’ll meet you there, I know how to get into his house if he’s there and doesn’t want to answer.**

**Betty: You underestimate me Jones. You may have been best friends with him, but do you really think you’re the only one that snuck in and out when he was grounded? Come on, we’ve been neighbours since we were little kids.**

**Jughead: GASP. That traitor! We’re definitely speaking about this when we find him.**

**Kevin: AFTER we chat about the recording.**

**Jughead: Yeah, yeah.**

Kevin sighed again and decided to walk around the halls once more. Thank gosh he and the others got excused from classes to go and find him and track down the person that uploaded the recording. The bell rang and the students began to clear out.

 _“Would Archie Andrews please come to the Principal’s office? Archie Andrews come to the Principal’s office now please. Thank you.”_ Mr. Weatherbee’s voice spoke through the intercom. Well, if he was at school, he’d probably go there.

**Chuck: That was my idea. Still here at the office, if he is in the school, he’d probably obey and come right?**

**Betty: Probably.**

**Chuck: What, no “nice thinking?”**

**Ethel: Yeah you get nothing Clayton. NOTHING.**

**Chuck: Fine! Fine.**

**Betty: He’s not home. UGH. THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!**

**Jughead: Yeah, you’d think that as his best friends WE’D know where he went.**

**Dilton: Just a thought. What if what happed to Jason is happening to Archie?!**

**Cheryl: It hasn’t been 24 hours yet you goon.**

**Kevin: Yeah, we’ll find him. I’m sure of it. And if we can’t, then my dad will be on top of it. On top- The roof! I’ll check!**

Kevin ran towards the nearest stairwell that led to the roof. He climbed up the stairs, taking two at a time. But Archie wasn’t there.

Some weird feeling came over him. Like… something was going to happen.

Where the hell was Archie?!

**Jughead: Guys. I’ve been told to get to the dumpster behind the Rec Center. Now.**

Kevin swallowed nervously. He ran down the stairs- carefully, he didn’t want to trip and put another layer of death over the town- and met the others at the front of the school. Dilton was on his way, and Moose was going to meet them at the dumpster. Kevin got into his dad’s car along with Jughead, Betty and Veronica in the back. Ethel hitched a ride with Cheryl and Reggie in his car.

“Oh my god…” Betty whispered.

“What if Dilton was right? What if what happened to Jason happened to Archie?” Veronica said just as quietly. Kevin swallowed again, his throat was tight. He wouldn’t be able to handle another body of someone that he knew. Not just someone he knew, Archie was is _friend_. His close friend. Sure, they weren’t _best_ friends, like him and Betty, and Jughead were. But friends are friends damn it. “Don’t say that, he might be okay.” Kevin managed to say. His voice at least sounded confident. However, every other bit of him was not. He didn’t want to see another _body_.

Images of Jason’s body kept flying through his mind despite him trying not to think about it. His dad looked over at him, and Kevin could tell that he was worried about his son without even looking.

A few minutes later, they drove up to the rec center and walked around to the back. All afraid of what they’ll find. Jughead was already there with the Serpents, the leader was beside him.

“Sherriff.” the leader nodded, and Kevin’s dad nodded back. Kevin swallowed again. “Joaquin here is the one that found this.” The leader gestured to a kid about Kevin’s age, who looked pretty shaken.

“Oh my god.” Betty said. Kevin turned to her, and she was looking at what the others had found. Kevin braced himself.

But nothing could prepare him for this.

Spray painted on the back wall of the rec center was two sentences.

“Stop looking. There’s more where this came from.” The Sherriff read. There was an arrow at the end of the sentence pointing towards the dumpster. The Sherriff braced himself and propped open the dumpster lid.

“Oh god.” He reached into the dumpster, then pulled out his walkie-talkie. “Rec Center _now_. Bring an ambulance.”

Kevin closed his eyes for a second and held back any sobs. He looked at his father and glanced at the dumpster. “D-dad?” his voice was hoarse and tight.

His father turned to him and guided him away from the crowd. “Don’t look. Stay here.” he said. Kevin nodded. A devastating scream caught their attention as they looked to see Cheryl on her knees beside the dumpster crying her eyes out. The girls were surrounding her, and they too had tears in their eyes. But they weren’t quite as hysteric as Cheryl. “Shit.” Kevin’s father muttered and knelt down in front of Cheryl.

“Cheryl, try to breathe okay? Can you hear me?” Cheryl nodded, but didn’t open her eyes. Sirens roared through the air as the ambulance and a few other police cars drove up. The police started to block off the area, and ask questions. Kevin, instead of looking at what was most likely Archie the doctors were pulling out of the dumpster, looked around at the Serpents. The boy who’d found the scene was just finishing talking to a policeman. He was shaking quite badly. Kevin found himself walking over to him. What was he supposed to say though? ‘Hey sorry you had to go through this but just so you know, I know how you feel? You can talk to me about it?’ Nope. _Come on Kevin, think of something_.

But he was already there before he could.

“Um… hey…” Kevin said awkwardly. _Smooth_. He cleared his throat as Joaquin looked at him. _Oh_ god _he’s beautiful!_ Kevin wanted to smack himself. _Oh yeah, THAT is what you should be thinking you IDIOT._

“Hi?” Joaquin said. His voice was just barely a whisper. They stared at each other awkwardly for what seemed like forever- but it was probably more like a few seconds. Kevin cleared his throat again.

“I’m not- entirely sure what to say at the moment, but… uh, I know that this was traumatizing. But we might not have found him in time if you hadn’t.”

Joaquin scoffed. “Yeah. Sheer _luck_. With the way my life’s going though I’m not as surprised as I probably should be. You know, finding bodies is a _really_ weird and random thing to have in common.”

“Yeah tell me about it. Like are we following some sort of script or what?” Kevin is trying _really_ hard to do as his dad said and not look at the scene, or the ambulance. Luckily Joaquin wasn’t that bad to look at, or to talk to.

“Not to mention the fact that the people we found were both _redheads_. I mean, they’re rare enough. What does the universe have against them? It likes green instead?”

Kevin… didn’t know what to say to that. But Joaquin suddenly reminded him of Jughead though. Joaquin sighed. “Sorry. Sardonic humour. I know that’s not everyone’s thing, and I know that what I said about redheads isn’t true.” Joaquin crossed his arms and shrugged. “It’s just my way of dealing with shit like this.”

“Don’t worry, one of my friends is like that. I get it. I think you and him would probably get along actually.” Another wave of silence washed over them, but it wasn’t quite as awkward as the first one.

“You’re trying hard not to look at the scene huh?” Joaquin asked. Kevin frowned and looked down.

“Yeah...”

“So…” Joaquin seemed to hesitate. “What _were_ you and that guy doing there that night?” Kevin looked up at him. He might have been trying to distract him.

“Not looking for bodies.”

“Well… aside from that of course.”

“Um…” Kevin wasn’t sure how to respond in a way that _didn’t_ sound like a complete lie. He genially sucked at lying. Especially if he was nervous to begin with. That seemed to be a good enough answer as Joaquin’s eyebrow raised up.

“You and _him_? I mean, no offense, but isn’t he a little out of your league?” Kevin stared at the other teenager. Because _what_?

“Out of my- are you serious?”

“What? He is.”

“How?”

“Well, are you even together?”

Kevin hesitated. “No… But-”

“Then there’s the fact that he’s clearly a jock. Let me guess, football?” Kevin nodded and held back a sigh. “He’s probably been with a few cheerleaders right? His friends probably make fun of you. And there are your reasons. But first, why aren’t you together?”

“I… told him that he should be with girls. But that doesn’t prove any-”

“Yes it does. You subconsciously knew it yourself that he is out of your league.”

“Why are we even talking about this?” This time Kevin _did_ sigh.

“It’s better than talking about finding _bodies_.”

“Yeah… yeah it is…”

“I’m Joaquin by the way.”

“Kevin.” He glanced over at the others- the ambulance was now gone thank god- and reached into his backpack and took out a piece of scrap paper and a pen. He wrote down his number and handed it to Joaquin who stared at it. “My number. In case you wanna talk. Like you said, this is a really weird and random thing to have in common.” Joaquin looked at him almost skeptically- which was understandable given that Kevin is the _Sherriff’s_ son and all. Joaquin finally nodded and took the piece of paper.

“Thanks. Didn’t think anyone would reach out to help given… what I do.” Joaquin rolled up his right sleeve a little to reveal a bit of the Serpent tattoos the gang all has.

“That may be _what you_ _do_ , but that might not be _who you_ _are_. Trust me, there’s a difference.” Kevin looked back at his father who gestured for him to come over. “Guess I should go see what the plan is.”

“Yeah. Um, thanks, again. And uh, I hope your friend is okay.”

“Thanks. Me too.” Kevin gave him a small smile and he gave one back. He then walked over to his dad to see his friends getting into the back of the car. “Hey dad, what’s the plan?”

“We’re gonna drive over to the hospital and meet everyone there. We’ll have to wait a while before they can give us any new news on Archie, so I’m going to drop you guys off and pick up some food to help everyone calm down.” Kevin nodded and got into the passenger’s seat.

A few hours later, they got the okay.

They were told Archie was awake.

Only a few were allowed to go in at a time, so the Sherriff let Archie’s closest friends go in, after Archie’s dad of course. The four friends went in quietly and surrounded their fifth friend. Archie didn’t look good. Cuts and bruises marked a majority of his body almost as if…

Almost as if he were _tortured_. Or just really beaten up. Which, in some ways _is_ torture. He was also hooked up to an oxygen tank. Despite all of that though, Archie smiled. Typical Archie. Although, he could he high on pain killers. He probably is.

“Hey buddy, you scared us half to death.” Jughead said. Archie frowned and his eyes showed a tinged of sadness. It was pretty clear he was trying to apologize. Clearly he couldn’t talk yet. “Damn it man, don’t apologize for getting beat up. _None_ of that was your fault.”

“We’re just glad that for the most part, you’re okay.” Veronica said with a smile.

“Do you remember anything at all?” Betty asked cautiously. Archie frowned and shook his head. The doctors did say that Archie had been drugged up so badly that it’d be a miracle if he remembered anything at all. Not wanting to dwell on it, Jughead changed the subject.

“Well, I for one, hope that you’re let out by Friday. That’s the last night for the drive-in theater. You guys are coming right?” Jughead asked. That’s right. Jughead had been ranting angrily about that for the past two weeks. Given that that movie theater was his job- Kevin could understand why he was so pissed about it being torn down. He’d lost one of his jobs the same way once. It sucked. That was before he came to Riverdale.

“Wouldn’t miss it. What are you thinking of playing? Please _no_ Nicolas Cage.” Kevin said.

“Hell no. But I wouldn’t mind having a few ideas. I thought about showing _American Graffiti_ , but I thought that it might be too obvious.” Jughead said with a shrug.

“Hm, what about _Rebel Without a Cause_?” Betty said. The group snickered and Archie smiled.

After a while everyone said their goodbyes to Archie and parted ways. No one had brought up the recording yet, seeing that it wouldn’t be right at the moment. They’ll wait until Archie is back to normal before bringing that up. At some point during a lunch hour, they had all agreed that Kevin and Jughead would do it, since Jughead is Archie’s best friend, and Kevin is, well, gay. They’d asked if Reggie wanted to come, but he declined saying that he was going to be out with his folks the night they were doing it.

A few days later, that day finally came. Archie was off of the oxygen tank was basically back to his old self which was a huge relief for everyone. In the past three days he’d gotten visits from a lot of people. Including his mother who had flown in to see her son. That was sweet of her. Kevin had never met her, but she seemed nice. Turned out thought that Kevin and Jughead didn’t have to tell Archie about the recording, his dad had done that. His father also knew about his sexuality and was cool with it. But Fred was a cool guy, so that wasn’t surprising. His mother was cool with it too. They also knew who Archie was in love with.

 _That_ mystery was driving Kevin up the wall. He knew it wasn’t him though. Archie, while hot yes, was not actually his type anyway. Plus… (he hates to admit this,) but even _Archie_ is now out of his league. Over summer the boy had grown to become the third hottest redhead teenager in town- the first two being the Blossom twins of course. So with that popularity, Kevin had no chance. Yes, despite being friends with the guy. Besides, Kevin… had someone else in mind.

He may or may not have been texting and meeting up with Joaquin every now and then… Yes, turned out that Joaquin was in fact gay, out and proud, and very much into him. Also _so not_ out of Kevin’s league. (Despite what Joaquin says about him “settling down for someone like Kevin,” the jerk.) Kevin smiled each time he thought of Joaquin. So yeah, he just might have found someone special of his own. They haven’t told anyone yet though. What with Kevin being the Sherriff’s son, and Joaquin being a Southside Serpent- it’s a modern day Romeo and Juliet at best. But they’re cherishing the good moments for now.

Anyway, the last night of the drive-in arrived. Kevin sat with his girls, and while he was slightly annoyed when Cheryl drove up and joined them, he couldn’t tell her to shove off. Not after the past events. Perhaps Cheryl just wanted someone that wasn’t her clique to hang out with. People that weren’t quick to judge. Kevin could understand that. He did notice that Archie was missing from the group though. He did say that he’d come, he was let out of the hospital the day before last. Veronica said that he was with Jughead in the building though. Which, okay. Veronica had a weird smile though. Like… she knew something.

Wait. Wait a minute.

HOLY SHIT.

ARCHIE IS IN LOVE WITH JUGHEAD!

It made so much sense! It was weird- given that it was Jughead of all people- but it still made sense. They were best friends. Had been since they were kids.

All in all Kevin wanted to beat himself up for not figuring it out sooner. It was SO obvious now. Hm… he’ll have to keep a close eye on Archie when he was with Jughead. Just to be sure.

Kevin was jerked out of his thoughts when loud shouts from the Serpents behind them sounded out through the parking lot. A few cars honked in annoyance, but they shut up once Veronica slammed them. A few people cheered and honked in thanks.

**_Buzz, buzz_ **

Kevin’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and looked at it.

**Romeo: Pretty cool friend you have there. Meet me behind the snack shack?**

Kevin smiled. Yes. He’d changed Joaquin’s name to Romeo. And the other may or may not have changed Kevin’s to Juliet- they may or may not have had a pretty big debate about who was who- but they settled for Kevin being Juliet. Since, he was the Sherriff’s son and Joaquin was well, Romeo.

Kevin stood up.

“Gonna get some more snacks. Be right back.” he said quickly. He left before the girls could say anything. He met Joaquin behind the shack.

“God I’ve been waiting for this all week!” Joaquin breathed. They have been seeing each other often yes, but not often enough. They had to keep it on the down low if they didn’t want anyone finding out. Joaquin pushed Kevin up against the fence. They’d never actually kissed before. Holy crap. Kevin didn’t get a chance to say anything before Joaquin pressed their lips together in a heated kiss.

_Oh… my… GOD…_

Kevin’s heart was beating so fast he was slightly worried that it might kill him… but of course it never did. Their first kiss quickly turned into a make-out session.

Kevin had never felt this way before. Sure, he’d had crushes before, but this… _this_ feeling was so strong! It scared the crap out of him, but he also wanted more of it. It was confusing, but he was sure that Joaquin felt the same way. Kevin had never felt so _high_ before. Was this what being on drugs felt like? Then he understood why people got hooked!

Finally they needed air and pulled apart.

“Wow…” Kevin breathed.

“Yeah… wow…”

The night ended all too quickly, after that. Kevin was sure that the girls knew he was with someone. But for the rest of the night Kevin just didn’t care. He couldn’t keep the smile off of his face. At least, not until he and his dad made a pit stop at the station.

It disappeared when he and his dad entered the room to see…

Everything regarding the case of Jason Blossom gone.

Just taken.

All of the evidence and theories. They were just- _gone_.

“Whoa…” Kevin said. “Hey do you think the same person that killed Jason is the same one that went after Archie?”

His father shook his head. “I don’t know son. But I know one thing. We’re gonna win this fight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah... this one actually got away from me for a bit lol. I didn't think I was going to go this way but I did. Like I said earlier, I'm sorry but also not sorry for putting Archie through that. I'm not sure about the ending though. It felt rushed. Mostly because I just wanted to get it done and posted lol. I know I didn't exactly explore Jughead's situation- I wanted to but it wasn't easy from Kevin's POV. Maybe in the next episode they'll deal with it so I can see where they're going with it. :/ Or maybe it'll be Archie's POV again. Or someone else's. lol Now I'm just never going to know until I see the episode!  
> Stay tuned guys!  
> :D


	5. He Didn't Even Say Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things veer away from the show a bit.  
> I hope you like this... new development.  
> :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! It's posted early!  
> Yay! It's a bit longer than the last one!  
> And yeah, like the summary says, I did venture away from the show's plot a little bit. It gets a little bit more interesting.
> 
>  
> 
> Also I didn't really proof read this one, I was too excited to post it lol. So sorry for any mistakes!

Every town has one. The spooky house that all the kids avoid. Riverdale’s was Thornhill, the Blossom family's mansion, with its very own graveyard. And, trapped within its walls like some Gothic heroine, was Cheryl Blossom. Still grieving for her beloved brother, Jason. Linked in death even as they were in life.

Cheryl woke up screaming. Another nightmare. She doesn’t remember falling asleep, but obviously she must have. That was the third time this week she’d fallen asleep on Jason’s bed. At first it was comforting. Like he was still here. Then after his body was found the nightmares started. She looked towards the doorway to see her mother staring at her. Frowning.

“I told you, Cheryl. No more sleeping in Jason's bed.” she said sternly. Cheryl looked down at the notepad on the bed.

“I... I was working on the eulogy. For Jay-Jay.”

“Don't bother. You won't be speaking at his memorial. God knows what you'd say. Something to humiliate us? No.” Her mother crinkled the piece of paper she’d been writing on and tossed. Cheryl bit back a sigh, and a snarky remark. That would only get her into trouble. She didn’t need any more of that.

“But, the reason I’m here is because I need you to hand out a few invitations at school. To Archie Andrews and his friends.”

“Why? I mean, Archie I get, but why the other’s? You hate them.”

“I have my reasons. Reasons that don’t concern you. Now do as I say. The invitations will be on the kitchen counter.” Penelope ended the conversation and left the room. “And _no more_ sleeping in Jason’s room. In fact, you are _banned_ from it. No one is allowed in it.” she said on her way out. Cheryl stared after her. Needless to say, she completely understood why Jason wanted out. At least she’s not the only one forbidden to enter. She gathered up her things and stomped off to her own room.

***

The next afternoon, Cheryl stood outside near the football field. She gave a pleasing sigh after checking over her makeup. She closed her mini mirror and put it in her purse. The outside light always did wonders on her looks. She looked across the football field towards the bleachers. Archie was sitting down with his guitar, and his friends walked up and sat around him. She looked at the black envelopes in her hand. Just enough for all of them. She didn’t know why her parents were hell bent on inviting _them_ to Jason’s funeral. Okay, she _maybe_ understood why they invited Archie. Archie could almost be a Blossom sibling. Almost.

She huffed and started walking over to them.

“Sorry to interrupt sad Breakfast Club, but I’m here to formally invite you to Jason’s memorial at Thornhill this weekend. To my surprise and chagrin, mother added you to the guest-list. In case you're tempted to steal our silver candlesticks, don't. We'll be searching bags.”

She quickly glanced at Jughead, who looked at her curiously, but went unnoticed by everyone else. She left with her head held high. Secretly she was glad that her mother invited Jughead. Jason would have wanted him there. No one could know that though.

Later, Lodge caught up with her in the hallway.

“Cheryl, wait. You're in pain. This is a horrible week for you. I'm sure it's why you're being particularly obnoxious.”

“Maybe. What's your point?”

“Look, I don't want to be locked in a catfight-to-the-death with you. That only ends in one way. Mutual annihilation.” Cheryl rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Agreed.”

“So, can't we just... Be friends? Or, at least, frenemies?”

“If you really want to extend an olive branch, come to a sleepover I'm having.”

“Fine. Sure. When?”

“The night before the memorial. I don't want to spend the night before I bury my brother alone.”

She made her way up the stairs. She needed to pick something up from one of the janitors for biology. So she turned a corner and headed towards the nearest janitors closet. Luckily, one of the janitors was there. “Oh, Mr. Neeson wanted me to pick up some chemicals for biology?”

“Ah yes. Of course, he let me know yesterday. They’re just on the back shelves. I trust you to lock up when you’re finished Miss Blossom.”

“Of course, thank you.” Cheryl smiled and walked into the closet. Her nose wrinkled instantly. It always smelled weird in these closets. Probably from the chemicals though. She watched her footing- she didn’t want to step in anything, or knock anything over- and made her way to the back. She started at the lowest shelf and made her way up, and found what she needed somewhere in the middle. The bottles were at the back, and she moved a few of the others to reach it. She was about to grab it and go, when something caught her eye.

A bag, hidden behind the shelves.

Not just any bag, it was a back pack. Large, black- a student’s back pack. Huh. That’s weird, what was it doing here in a janitor’s closet? She glanced behind her- no one was in the hallway. Good. She closed the door a little ways. She angled herself so that she was able to unzip the back pack without moving it. Hey, it really could have just been containing other chemicals, she had to be careful.

But it wasn’t.

It _was_ a student’s backpack.

There was a full set of clothes- enough to last a week- some bathroom products, it was definitely a boy’s back pack. But who’s? Who would be _living_ here-?

Then she found it.

A picture of two kids.

And one of them was Jughead.

Jughead was _living_ at the school. He was _homeless_! That explained some of the things he did. The girl in the picture must be his sister or something.

“God Cheryl, all those jokes you made about him being homeless… and it’s true.” she sighed. Then she realized two things. The first one was- she had to find Jughead. And the second one- was that why Jason told her to stop making fun of Jughead? Did he know? If so, just how much did he know? She carefully put the picture in her purse- as evidence that she knows his hiding spot- and grabbed the chemicals and left, locking the door behind her.

After school, she’d met her friends at Pop’s like planned, but she said that she had to leave early due to her mother wanting her at the house. Luckily, Jughead was at Pop’s like usual. Even luckier- he was alone. When the time came she said goodbye to her friends and briefly stopped beside Jughead.

“I need to talk to you, please. Meet me behind the building.” She said quietly. She was just lucky he had taken off his headphones so he heard her.

“Fine. Five minutes.”

As said, five minutes later, Jughead came around the corner.

“Okay, what?” it wasn’t a question. “This had better not be a stupid prank.”

“It’s not. Okay. Today I was asked to get some chemicals from the janitors so I went to the nearest closet. And… I found something.” Cheryl reached into her purse and took out the picture. Jughead’s eyes widened and he instantly grabbed it from her and held it close. “I was careful with it.”

Jughead swallowed and glared at her.

“This is the only picture I have of my sister.”

“I understand the bond between siblings greatly. I’m only here to ask you of one thing, and that is to come live with me.”

“Live with you and your crazy parents? Yeah, no thanks. They wouldn’t even want me tarnishing the _front steps_.”

“They don’t have to know. I know how to get you in without them noticing. It’s pretty easy. I’m not asking for anything else, or anything in return. Please Jughead. I may be full of fire, but my heart hasn’t disintegrated into dust.” He still looked unsure, but he seemed to be thinking about it. “Please? I know Jason would have wanted you to live in a house and not the school.”

Jughead seemed confused as to why she brought up Jason, but he sighed. “Fine. How are we doing this?”

Cheryl beamed and almost hugged him, but she held it back. Hey, she had a reputation to hold up. “Great! Later tonight, when it’s dark, text me when you’re ready. Here’s my number. I’ll tell you where to meet me.” She handed him a piece of paper with her number. She walked away, leaving a confused slightly suspicious Jughead behind. Cheryl smiled. Her brother would be proud.

She just hoped that Jughead would text her and show up. That would be up to him.

***

When the night came Cheryl waited patiently in her car by the side of the road. She turned the lights off so she wouldn’t be seen through a window that easily. She’d told her parents that she was going to hang out with her friends at a party, but would be back by eleven. It was ten-thirty now. Luckily for her she had her grandmother’s patients. Her parents were never all that patient. Guess it skipped a generation.

**_Buzz, buzz!_ **

Cheryl gasped lightly as the noise pulled her from her thoughts. She grabbed her phone and-

**Unknown: Ready. Where are you? –J.J.**

Cheryl smiled. J.J. That’s what she used to call Jason. She still calls him that. Here it was obviously just Jughead’s initials, but it still made her smile. She texted him where she was and saved his number in her phone- the name being King, referring to the crown shaped hat on his head. No one would figure _that_ out. If it were initials they would figure it out eventually. But now they should be safe if her friends go through her contacts. Which, _ugh_ , they do sometimes for some reason.

Then a few moments later, Cheryl saw a figure walking on the sidewalk towards her. Jughead! He came! Cheryl smiled widely. As he got to the door, she unlocked the car. Jughead cautiously put his backpack in the backseat and climbed into the passenger’s seat.

“Okay, we’ve got half an hour before my parents expect me home. It’s too much of a risk to go in the front door. But, I know another way in through one of the upper windows. Jason and I used to sneak in and out all the time. I still do sometimes when things get to be too much. How are you at climbing?” Cheryl asked.

“Uh, pretty good I guess.”

“Good, just think of it as the climbing wall in the gym. Only without the rope.”

“That’s comforting.”

“It’ll be okay, I’ll go up first and you just follow my moves.”

“Uh, you _do_ know that you’re in a dress?”

“Hence the leggings, duh. I’m not _that_ stupid. But my parents think I’m going to a party. They won’t believe it if I wear _pants_.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Jughead shrugged. He hesitated. “Hey, uh, why are you doing this? The Cheryl that everyone knows wouldn’t even go near me unless she had to.” Cheryl frowned, and considered her words carefully.

“For Jason, and for you. Jason might not have been the kindest person, and may have had a few sketchy lies that even I didn’t know about, but he cared about you. He never said anything at first, but I’d always catch him staring at you with a fond look on his face. This started when we were about thirteen I think. Well, that’s when I started noticing it anyway. A few years later, he invited you and Archie to our fifteenth birthday party. That’s when I figured out that… he- he was in love with you.”

Cheryl watched as Jughead’s expression changed. His eyes widened and his mouth hung slightly open. She expected it. Why would he react differently to _that_ news? After a few moments of silence, Jughead spoke.

“Jason… was… in love with… _me_.” he said slowly as if he were only just now realizing what she’d said. Which, to be honest, was entirely possible. Cheryl nodded.

“The day of the party, he was so nervous. He kept looking in the mirror and fussed with his looks. Eventually I got him to relax, and I asked him why he was so nervous. And he started crying. He said that he was scared and told me that he was bisexual. I asked him if he had feelings for you, and he said yes. He said he was in love with you. He was too scared to say anything, or even talk to you. I think he wanted to try at the party, but backed out every time.”

“He did, uh, sort of.  You know that parties aren’t exactly my thing, so about half way through, I had made up some excuse that I wasn’t feeling well or something. Archie, being the guy that he is, decided that he’d drive me home. Back when I still had one.” Jughead cleared his throat, “Uh, he stopped us just before we left. He gave us a couple of gift bags and only said four words- ‘gift bags, feel better.’ I never understood why he seemed _weird_ …”

Cheryl smiled. “He never told me that. I’m glad he actually talked to you, even if it was just four words.” Jughead gave a small smile. “ _And_ , speaking of _redheads in love_ , have you figured out who Archie is in love with?” Cheryl knew who it was of course. She’s not _blind_. It’s Jughead. It was always him. She saw it before he knew it.

Jughead groaned. “Ugh, _no_. It’s driving me insane! I thought I had a few ideas, but now that I know that you _can_ fall in love by watching from afar- I’m back to square one.” Cheryl smiled. “What? Do you know?”

“No. But, we should get going.”

She drove to her house, and parked a few blocks away. They climbed out of the car and Jughead gave her a strange look. “What?” she asked.

“You’re going to climb up a building wearing _those_?” he gestured towards her high heels. She sighed and reached into her purse and pulled out a stylish pair of flats. “Oh my gosh, you’re Daphne Blake!” Cheryl rolled her eyes.

“ _Please_ , her wardrobe is _atrocious_. But we don’t have much time, they’re expecting me home any minute. Come on.”

“Wait so, just so I know, which room are we climbing into?”

“Jasons.”

Jughead stopped walking. Cheryl turned around to look at him, impatiently.

“We’re climbing up into a dead person’s room. Isn’t that, you know, disrespectful?”

“No. Not in this case anyway. It’s _Jason_. In case you forgot, he was in love with you. I seriously don’t think he’d mind you staying in his room. I think he’d be super happy. Now _come on_. I want to at least be able to bring you some kind of dinner.” Cheryl started walking quickly. Thankfully he caught up to her.

It only took them about a minute to get there.

“ _That_ is _not_ the climbing wall in the gym!” Jughead whispered harshly. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t. But it was just climbing. Dangerous climbing, sure, but still. She’d done it over like, a _thousand_ times.

“Okay, yeah. But it’s really not that bad, trust me.” Cheryl changed out of her heels and into her flats.

“Says the girl that’s probably done it over a thousand times!”

“You’ll be fine. I’ve done it with three heavy bags on a _rainy day_ before. I mean, sure, I might have had God to thank for me not dying, but still. It’s doable. If you want, I can take your bag.”

“No! Uh, it’s fine. It’s not that heavy anyway.” Jughead adjusted his backpack and tightened the straps so it wouldn’t fall off. Cheryl started her way up.

“Just do _exactly_ what I do, and you should be fine.” she reassured. It didn’t take long for them to climb up thankfully. Cheryl glanced back a few times to make sure that Jughead was okay. She didn’t think Jason would forgive her if something happened to him. She didn’t even think she’d forgive _herself_. Cheryl climbed through the window and helped Jughead get through. His backpack went in first seeing as the gap was too small.

“What if your parents come in while I’m sleeping or something?” Jughead asked. He set his bag down on the floor next to the bed.

“They won’t. Mother had said that no one is allowed in the room. She hasn’t been in here since July fourth. They won’t know. But I will give you the maids schedule just in case they’re still allowed to clean it. Or at least, dust it or something. I should get back to my car and drive up like normal. They’re expecting me now. I’ll bring you some food in a bit. I’ll text you.” Cheryl turned to head out the window.

“Cheryl.” Jughead said, he didn’t look at her though. He hesitated. “Thank you.” His voice was quiet, but Cheryl heard it. Cheryl smiled and climbed out of the window. Before her decent, she glanced back at Jughead, who had his back turned to her. He was rubbing his eyes and shaking.

He was crying.

She wanted to climb back in and hug him, but she knew he thought he was alone. She decided to let him be.

As she climbed, she wondered how long he’d been homeless. How many meals he had to skip because he didn’t have the money? How long had it been since he’d seen his sister last? Was he always sleeping at the school, or did he have other places? There were so many questions, but those would have to be dealt with another night.

Later, Cheryl managed to sneak food to Jughead. She cautiously entered the room with the plate of food in her hands. She smiled as she noticed another picture beside Jason’s. The picture of Jughead and his sister, nudged into the frame outside of the glass. She handed Jughead the plate and he thanked her.

“You know, it’s- it’s weird. I know this isn’t possible really, but that picture of him… He seems happier. He always liked to watch you and your sister play with your dog in the park. He loved seeing you happy. Seeing you smile. I tried to get him to talk to you when it was just you, but he was too afraid. I think if he ever regretted anything about what he did, it would be that he didn’t say goodbye to you.”

There was a few moments of silence between the two as Cheryl stared at the two pictures in the frame.

“He did.”

Cheryl turned and stared at Jughead who was staring down at the yet to be eaten food.

“Sort of. He didn’t exactly say anything _out loud_ , but… Okay.” Jughead sighed. “A few years ago, when I was fourteen my dad started getting into some Southside Serpent stuff. About a year later, it got worse. My mom didn’t want my sister or me getting involved, but she only had enough money to take care of one kid. She didn’t want to split us up, but I told her I’d be fine. That I could take care of myself. Dad had lost his job because of the Serpent stuff. That’s when things got really bad. I got a job at the drive-in, and chose to move out. I didn’t leave because I didn’t have a choice. I left because I wanted out. After my mom and sis took the dog and left, I felt like I didn’t have a reason to stay. Sometimes I’d go to the park and just sit under some tree and stare at it. And… somehow, someway, Jason would always find me. He’d never say anything, he’d just sit beside me and stare at the park. It was like he knew something was wrong. Like he’d been there that day.

“Sometimes he’d leave money. Sometimes he wouldn’t. Like, he knew when I got paid or something. He still never said a word, not even when I asked him about it. He would just get this look in his eyes like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t. Of course back then I didn’t know what that meant. Eventually, I let it drop. I figured he’d never answer. This- _thing_ kept happening until about a week before the July fourth weekend. I was in the park like usual, and he came, like usual. But I noticed that there was something off about him. Something, _sad_.  We just sat in silence for about an hour, until he got up and left. He left some money, but less than usual. I never saw him again. I could never figure out _why_ , but now… I think he was saying goodbye.”

During the story, Cheryl had sat down beside Jughead on the bed. He looked over at her to see her crying, yet also smiling. He put the plate of food down beside him on his other side, and put an arm around her. He didn’t usually do this, but she needed it. Cheryl stared at her brother’s picture.

“He never told me.” her voice was shaky, but it wasn’t sad. “I’m so happy! He said goodbye after all. He was so brave! God I’m so proud of him.” Cheryl turned to face Jughead with a big smile. “Thank you for telling me.” Jughead allowed her to lean her head on his shoulder.

They stayed that was for quite a while, before Cheryl realized her parents would be looking for her soon.

***

Later the next day, Cheryl managed to walk in on her parents explaining the funeral plans to Sherriff Keller.

Ugh. The _nerve_ of them.

“That's why you've invited the Lodges and everyone else? To investigate them? And you think I'm manipulative and heartless and making this all about myself?” Cheryl scoffed. Her mother just rolled her eyes. Cheryl scoffed again and headed towards the kitchen. She gathered up some food and made her way upstairs without anyone noticing. She gave the secret knock she and Jughead came up with the night before, and he opened the door. “Hey. Bringing this now because Veronica is sleeping over tonight. I probably won’t get away with it later. Sorry that it’ll probably be cold by the time dinner starts.” She set the plate on the nightstand. Ever since their conversation the night before, it had been easier to talk to each other. Like, they had bonded. Grew closer. Jason would be happy.

“Oh. That’s fine, I like cold chicken. Thanks. Uh…” Jughead noticed the look on her face. “What’d your parents do this time?”

Cheryl breathed in deeply. “They only invited you and the others in order to _investigate_. They invited people on their suspect list. _God_ they’re such- such- f***ing asshole bastards! They don’t care about anyone but themselves. Not even me.” Jughead surprised her by hugging her. She buried her face in his shoulder and sighed. “As much as I want to love them since they’re my parents, I don’t. I _hate_ them. I hate how much control they have over me, it _sucks_!”

“Trust me, I get it. I hated my dad for the _longest_ time. Until one day, I realized that, hating them isn’t worth it. It just makes you angry.”

Cheryl chuckled. “I guess you’re right. They’re just… _so_ messed up! God, Archie and Veronica are so lucky to have the life that they do. Everyone else’s parents seem like crap compared to Fred and Hermione. Or at least one of them seems like crap.” Jughead snorted.

“Yeah… but that’s why we have each other. Why we’re so different from them. So we can remind each other to not turn into them.”

“I suppose so. Oh, that’s right. I almost forgot.” Cheryl pulled apart and went over to the closet. “I got you these earlier.” She pulled out a couple of bags.

“Uh, you didn’t have to-” Jughead said. Cheryl handed him the bags. One was filled with new clothes, and the other a new suit. “You _really_ didn’t have to do this. Cheryl, I _can’t_ -”

“No, no. I’m not taking no for an answer. I just hope that the clothes I picked out are your style. I did my best. I also hope I got your sizes right. And the suit isn’t super expensive so it won’t look suspicious. Not like if you _did_ have an expensive one. I figured those aren’t really your style anyway.”

Jughead stared at her with wide eyes. “I… I don’t know what to say. But… _why_?”

Cheryl smiled. “I’m not really sure to be honest. But, I wanted to do it. Oh, Veronica should be over soon. I gotta go. Try them on. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

***

Well. The dinner couldn’t have been more awkward. So she might have light to Veronica and made her believe that there would be other girls. Instead it was just her. So hence the awkwardness. Ugh. Her life. Later that night Cheryl confided in Veronica that her friends… aren’t her real friends. They didn’t care about her like Veronica and the others did. And that Jason deserved a better family than he got.

“Cheryl. You're allowed to say goodbye to your brother. But, why does it have to be...”

“In front of people? Yeah. Everything with Jason's been so... Public. Everyone has an opinion. Has been gossiping. Saying he got what he deserved, or that he didn't. I just... I want everyone to know that I'm... I'm sorry. And that Jason deserved a... A better family than what he got.”

“Then do it. I'll help you. And let Penelope and Clifford Blossom do their worst.” Veronica said.

“Oh, they will. They'll kill me.” Veronica gave her a worried look.

***

The next day Cheryl stood in front of her mirror in her black outfit. Veronica knocked on the door and entered.

“You ready?” she asked.

“Just about. You go ahead. I'll be down.”

“Okay.” Cheryl watched her go and glanced at her closet.

“Okay, she’s gone.” Jughead stepped out, wearing the new suit she got him. He smiled.

“You look great.” he said as he stood behind her. “But, I don’t think you’ll make a big enough statement in that dress. I’d go for something… _else_.” Cheryl looked at him, and he held up a very _familiar_ dress. She smirked.

Hell yes.

A little later, Cheryl walked down the stairs and made her way towards the hall. She could already hear the whispers as she walked closer. She held her head high and proud. She walked in as the pianist started playing. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared. Stared at her-

In the bright white dress she wore when she last saw Jason. Gloves and all. She walked up to the front and stood in front of the microphone.

“Welcome to Thornhill. Thank you all for coming. If you'll kindly take your seats. I'd like to start the memorial with a few words about Jason.” she said, her voice strong. She saw her mother start to get up, but Veronica stopped her. She’d only make it worse. She looked into the audience and saw Jughead’s proud smile. It was small, but it was there. The people took their seats- and it began.

“The last time I saw Jason, I was wearing this dress. I know it's impossible. But I swear, when I put it on, it... It feels like he's in the room with me. Even though we were twins, I used to demand I have my own birthday party. Until one year, out of the blue, Jason convinced me we had to combine them into one. It wasn't until years later, I found out why. It was because no one wanted to come to mine. And Jason didn't want me to know. He protected me. Every single day. I wish, that day at the river, I had protected him.” She couldn’t hold back her sobs. She walked over to the casket and leaned over it. “I'm so sorry, Jay-Jay. We failed you. All of us.” She leaned into Veronica’s warm touch for comfort.

“I think we'll adjourn now to the Winter Salon for a light supper.” Her mother’s voice was sharp, but only to Cheryl’s ears. Only because she knew the real monster inside of her mother.

As soon as everyone left, Penelope grabbed her daughter’s arm and dragged her away from the casket. The tears kept coming. Penelope threw her down on the bed.

“I had to. It's what Jason would've wanted.” Cheryl sobbed.

“No, Cheryl. As always, it's what you wanted. I hope you enjoyed yourself. 'Cause after tonight, there will be no more River Vixens. And if not for the fact that no one would have you, I'd be shipping you off to a boarding school in Europe tonight.” Penelope hissed. She left her daughter in tears. Veronica stood outside the doorway with Jughead. The other girl didn’t question why he was there. They walked in and sat on either side of her and each wrapped an arm around her.

Every town has one. The house on the haunted hill all the kids avoid. Now that Jason was buried in the earth, it would only be a matter of time until something poisonous bloomed.

Cheryl smiled as she saw the image of her brother look down at his grave and smile at her. Then, he looked up and smiled lovingly at his bedroom window. Where Jughead was watching. Hidden from the others. She smiled widely as she glanced up at the other boy. He smiled down at her.

Bloomed, in that long, cold shadow cast by his death. Whatever grew in the rich black soil of the Blossom's garden always found its way to the town. Whether it was murder. Or love. Or secrets. Or lies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Cheryl and Jughead will definitely have a brother-sister bond. I love this idea so much that I was super excited for this chapter lol. I just hope you like it too! :D


	6. Just for Me the Church Bells Rang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had no idea that this would get this popular. So, I just wanted to say thank you so much! :D And for that, you get an early chapter that's super long! Yay!  
> I actually didn't expect it to be this long lol. But I realized when I saw that I already had like, five pages written, and I was only about five minutes into the episode. So I was like- holy crap, this is going to be long. I thought about posting it as two chapters, but then I was like, nah.  
> You also get two POV's here, and we're back to Archie and Jughead! I know I could have done this chapter in Betty's POV, but I wanted to get back to these guys.  
> So enjoy!

Fear.

It’s the most basic, the most human emotion. As kids, we’re afraid of everything. The dark, the boogey man under the bed, and we pray for morning. For those monsters to go away. Though, they never do. Not really.

Just ask Jason Blossom.

 

Turned out that for Jughead, moving in with Cheryl was the absolute best decision he’d ever made. He had a roof over his head, a place to be alone, free food- and a sister he’d never thought he’d have. Cheryl, while being full of fire at school and in public, was different when they were alone. In fact, she reminded Jughead of Jellybean. Sort of. They were still very different of course.

It’s been about a week since he’d moved into Jason’s room. While it was a little awkward at first- what with Jason being _dead_ and all- Cheryl finally convinced him to forget the sleeping bag and use the bed as it was meant to be used. They texted often, sometimes wanting to know where the other one is, especially when they were at the house. But most of the time, they were just texting as friends would. Cheryl would let him know if any of the maid’s schedules have changed, but usually they stayed away from Jason’s room as they had been told. Jughead’s backpack was hidden in a secret compartment in the closet that Jason had once hid his journals- that were most definitely _not_ diaries (according to him) - in. The journals weren't there though. Jason must have taken them with him when he ran.

By the fifth day they had worked out a routine. Cheryl would text Jughead to get him up, and they’d do their own things to get ready. Cheryl’s parents left early for work leaving enough time for her to get Jughead some breakfast. Cheryl still had breakfast with them though, despite the horrid time she had to wake up at.

Jughead rolled over in the bed to his right side and sighed. It couldn’t be morning just yet. It can’t. But the light coming from underneath the curtains begs to differ. Still, it has to be early enough that he can-

**_Buzz! Buzz!_ **

Damn. Guess not.

Jughead sighed and lazily opened his eyes. First they went to his phone, which had Cheryl’s nickname lighting up the screen- Queen- since Cheryl called him King in her phone. He figured why not? She _is_ the queen of the school anyway. Then his eyes went to the picture frame sitting on the nightstand. He smiled.

While it had been awkward at first, Jughead did find comfort in knowing that he was loved. Even if nothing became of it. Jason was dating Polly- Betty’s sister. Probably as a cover, since he loved Jughead. Part of him wondered if Polly knew about Jason. He’ll have to get Betty to ask when the three of them head over to where her sister is.

Cheryl helped locate her, and asked if she could come find out what happened with Polly and Jason. Betty agreed thankfully. Today, he was going to go over to her place for breakfast since she’d invited him. It will be awkward, but it’s still free food.

Jughead sat up and looked at the message.

**Queen: So breakfast will surely be as awkward as usual, but hopefully you’ll have better luck at Betty’s! :)**

**King: Hopefully. But Betty’s parents are kind of crazy too, so, probably not.**

**Queen: Aren’t we lucky that our generation seems to have at least _some_ logic in this town?**

**King: Most of us anyway. Lol And Fred and Hermione.**

**Queen: And Fred and Hermione. :) Good luck at Betty’s!**

**King: Thanks, good luck here.**

Jughead smiled and got ready for the day. He strapped his backpack on and glanced out the window. There was no one in sight, good. He opened the window and began his decent.

Another plus was that he was getting quite a workout climbing up and down the huge house. It took him about five minutes, while it only took Cheryl two. Depending on the weather. On a regular day, he’d usually walk through the forest and meet Cheryl a little ways down the road and catch a ride with her to school. Then she’d drop him off a few blocks away from the school in a quiet place where there usually wasn’t anyone around. However, today he was going over to Betty’s. So they made a change in the schedule for the time being. Despite being on a hill, Cheryl’s house wasn’t exactly out of town. Well, not by much. He could walk, he’ll be fine.

The moment he rang the Cooper’s doorbell- things instantly got awkward. He swallowed just as Mrs. Cooper answered the door with a fake smile.

“Good morning Forsythe. It’s always a _pleasure_ to see you.” she said. Her voice was so fake it made him want to puke.

“It’s always good to see you too Mrs. Cooper.” he replied with the same type of fake voice. She obviously picked up on it and her smile faltered for a second.

“Do come in. My apologies if we’re a little _short_ on food. My daughter didn’t let me know until this morning that you were coming. I know how much you _love_ food.”

“That uh- that’s fine. Thanks for the _concern_. Uh you can uh, call me Jughead. If you want…” Jughead held back a snarky reply. It would not be good to talk back to Alice Cooper. Especially when you were already on thin ice with her.

“Oh, Jughead, hi.” Betty came down the stairs and the tension lessened- just a little bit.

“Oh thank god.” Jughead muttered quietly beneath his breath. He was sure Alice heard him anyway. It’s like she was a bat or something.

“Uh, dad says that breakfast is ready. Pancakes…” she said, a little awkwardly, but it was Betty. That was normal.

The three of them sat down quietly. _Too_ quietly for Jughead’s liking. Which was strange because he usually sought out the quiet. But not today. He’d give anything to be at Pop’s where there was a least _some_ background noise. There was nothing here.

“So. _Jughead_.” Alice said with a hint of disgust. “I suppose we have you to thank for Betty’s ongoing _obsession_ with this Jason Blossom ghoulishness.” Jughead stayed quiet. It was his best bet in order not to get eaten alive by Alice Cooper.

“Actually, I was the one who asked Jughead to help me write it for the Blue and Gold.”

Well. No doubt getting caught by Cheryl’s parents would be better than this breakfast. Jughead had never experienced anything more awkward in his entire life.

And that’s saying something.

Alice scoffed. Then laughed. A fake laugh mind you. Everything about that woman screamed fake. “Relax Betty, I’m just making conversation.”

But he had to endure this. Betty gave him a look when Alice wasn’t looking. It was time.

They had a plan.

“Uh, do you have a bathroom I could use?” Jughead asked as he put down his orange juice.

“Uh yeah I’ll show you.” Betty said. She was about to get up when her mother stopped her.

“Oh, no, no. I’ll do it. It’s this way _Jughead_.” Alice said. Jughead followed her and hoped that Betty had enough time to take pictures of her mother’s day planner.

***

Another fun fact about fear- sometimes, it grows up with you. Or, it curls up inside of you.

Archie dug around in an old trunk in his room. Finally he found it. An old guitar strap that he’d used for a costume for Halloween. Hopefully it was doable.

Each fall, Riverdale hosts a variety show. But this event, is no mere student frolic.

“Archie Andrews. And what will you be auditioning with?” Kevin asked from his seat as the co-head of the operation.

Archie swallowed his nerves. He could do this. There wasn’t _that_ many people there. He could do this. He’ll be fine.

God he wished Jughead was here.

But he had to work on the whole Jason thing with Betty, they had some kind of plan worked out.

“Uh, an original song.”

His voice sounded confident right?

“Called Try Harder.”

“Try harder!” Reggie called out. He and his gang were only there to heckle. Kevin tried to arrange it so they couldn’t be there just to heckle, but there was nothing in the rules saying that they couldn’t. So- they were there. “Maybe try harder at not sucking so much!” Kevin’s grip around the pen he was holding tightened. He tried to give Archie an encouraging look but-

Archie suddenly realized that he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t _move_.

Shit.

“Uh, s-sorry I g-gotta go.”

He left the stage in a hurry- the laughter from Reggie and his friends barely audible. He had to focus on breathing.

While Reggie and his friends may have been supportive of… his newly found sexuality, they still had it in them to be jerks sometimes. Well, most of the time. But they weren’t homophobic or racist. So… there was that at least.

“Come on Arch, breath. In, out. In, out.” he muttered under his breath. Thank god he was the only one in the hallway. He sighed. He leaned against the wall and sunk to the floor. Which was how Valerie- a Pussycat, found him later.

“Hey, you okay?” she asked calmly.

“I don’t know. Just… when I was up there… I froze.”

“That was stage fright Archie.”

“Yeah, but when I’m on the football field, the stands can be _packed_. And it doesn’t affect my game at all.”

“Singing makes you vulnerable in a way that football doesn’t.”

“Or maybe, what I was missing out there on stage was my team. Or at least a partner. What if we sang, I Got You?”

“Archie, I’m a Pussycat. We’re headlining the Variety Show.”

“What if you sang with them first and then me? Just this once? To help me get my-”

“Have you _met_ Josie? I can’t step out of the cats. I’m sorry Archie. But maybe I can help you beat your stage fright. There are different ways that works for different people. I gotta go, we have a rehearsal, but I can get back to you on that?”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah. Thanks I guess.”

Valerie got up to leave, but she turned around.

“You know, one of the ways people beat stage fright is to think of someone that you love. Doesn’t matter if it’s a family member, or… a crush. Like that guy you’re in love with.” She smiled when Archie blushed lightly. “Even just the thought of them can be calming.” She hesitated. “How’s the hunt for the anonymous uploader going?”

Archie sighed. “Not great. Whoever did it, made sure that we wouldn’t be able to find them. They even stole the school’s security cameras from the hallway that we were in.”

“Damn. Who’d want to do such a thing? To try to hurt you like that?”

“I honestly have no idea. It’s not like I _try_ to hurt people. But, I know that… I have done it without realizing it.” Archie sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I know that I _still_ do that. And… I can’t seem to stop. No matter how hard I try. These _things_ just keep happening. Like my fate is already written out in some script and I can’t change it.”

“Hey.” Valerie put a hand on his shoulder. “We all make mistakes one way or another. I’ve made some that I regret, but I can’t change the past. The best we can do is move on. But, I’m starting to think that maybe you tend to keep things on the inside for too long. Sometimes music helps, but sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes people are better. I’ll see you around Archie.” Valerie smiled and left to find her group.

Archie sighed. Maybe she was right. Maybe he needed someone to talk to about these things.

***

“The Sisters of Quiet Mercy.” Betty managed to read from her mother’s hand writing the next day. She had managed to take great pictures of her day planner. She and Jughead were hoping to find out where her sister was put by that. “What is that, some kind of church? Or a charity?”

“I think I’ve heard of it.” Cheryl said as Jughead searched it on his laptop. “It’s not really a church it’s a-”

“Home for troubled youth. Where disenfranchised teens will learn such virtues as discipline, and respect. Enjoying lives of quiet reflection, and servitude.” Jughead read off of the quote on the home’s website.

“Yeah. That… I don’t know much about it, but I overheard my parents talking about it once.”

“Poor Polly…” Betty muttered.

At lunch the gang sat at the picnic tables- minus Cheryl as she sat with her posy.

“It’s been months. There’s gotta be a reason my mom and dad don’t want me to see Polly. But I don’t care anymore.” Betty said.

“What are you guys talking about?” Archie asked. “Anything I can help with?”

“What we’re working on is a stealth operation Arch. If we go in there with the entire Scooby gang, forget it. We’re compromised. We’re already bringing Cheryl.”

“Why Cheryl?” asked Valerie. “Uh, if you don’t mind me butting in.”

“Oh we’re hoping that she can bribe the secretary there to not tell my parents that Polly got a visitor. That way we’re safe, and Cheryl and I can figure out what Polly and Jason’s relationship was together.” Betty explained.

“Oh, that’s smart. I hope it goes well.”

“Thanks.”

“Uh, speaking, of that relationship, Betty, Cheryl and I have something to tell you.” Betty looked at Jughead questioningly, “Uh, later. In a Blue and Gold meeting. Sorry.” He and Cheryl had talked and agreed to tell Betty who Jason’s true love interest was. It was only fair that she knew.

“Oh. Okay. How come the others can’t know?”

“Uh…” Jughead wasn’t sure how to answer that without making seem… weird. Or suspicious or… something. He looked over to where Cheryl was and sent a text- yes he’s learned to do that without looking while the phone was in his pocket. She glanced at him with a look that said _fine._ Jughead and Betty watched as Cheryl picked up her things and gave no explanation to her group and walked over to them and sat down beside Jughead just as Veronica and Kevin got here. Kevin sat down beside Cheryl, while Veronica sat in between Archie and Valerie.

“To what do we owe this pleasure?” Kevin asked.

“Okay. What Jughead and I are about to say is part of my brother’s case. It never leaves this table. My parents can _not_ know. If any of you blab this to _anyone_ , I will personally seek you out and destroy you with everything I’ve got.” Cheryl said and shot a death glare to everyone but Jugehead. The others glanced at each other and nodded briefly before Jughead spoke.

“Okay. Uh, this will probably shock you. No, it _will_ shock you.” he said. “Okay so Jason… uh…” Huh, he seemed to be having trouble saying it. It just didn’t feel right for _him_ to-

“Jason was in love with Jughead.”

Whether or not Cheryl purposely waited for everyone to have something in their mouth or not before saying it was debatable as everyone choked on something.

“Wh- _what_?” Archie managed to say eventually. He coughed a few times before he spoke again. “Ja-Jason was-was he was- Jason-” Veronica grabbed his untouched sandwich and shoved it in his mouth to get him to stop talking. He blushed lightly but he stayed quiet.

“Jason was in love with Jughead?” Betty repeated. “Wh- since when? And what about Polly? What, was she just a beard then?”

“I started seeing it when we were thirteen. And I’m not sure what Jason and Polly’s relationship was. I just always thought that maybe he liked her too. But I don’t know for sure. He never said anything about it.”

Betty nodded but didn’t say anything.

“Well, I honestly did not see that coming.” Kevin said. His face was still a bit red from choking.

“Yeah… wow… talk about Romeo and Juliet.” Veronica said. “You know, if anything actually happened between you guys.” she added quickly. Jughead just shrugged.

But it was true. Although there was the issue of Jughead never having a crush on anyone- like at all. Not that he thought about it. He just, didn’t really care about romance, not to mention sex. In fact, he was pretty sure that he was asexual. He was still figuring some stuff out, but he was like, ninety-five percent sure. But it truly would have been Romeo and Juliet since the Blossom’s parents hated Jughead and his family, and Jughead’s father hated them. Jughead just really didn’t give a damn. Basically, Veronica wasn’t wrong.

“Jason was always too afraid to do anything about it.” Cheryl said softly.

Jughead didn’t miss the way everyone kept glancing at Archie. But what he did miss was why. Why should Archie care if Jason had been in love with him? He was a little worried though, Archie was strangely quiet.

Not knowing what to say next, Betty changed the topic. “So, uh, Archie, how’s your music coming along?”

Archie snapped out of whatever daze he was in. “Oh! Uh, yeah it’s uh, it’s not.” He and Valerie shared a glance, and both frowned.

“Except, that it _is_ , thanks to me.” Veronica said smiling.

“What do you mean?” Archie asked.

“Oh nothing, just that I had a few _words_ with our director slash host, and _reminded him_ , that he’s heard you sing on numerous occasions.”

“Even though it compromises my artistic integrity-” Kevin said glumly, Veronica cut him off.

“Cutting to the chase, you have a slot if you want it.”

Archie frowned. Jughead glanced down. The guy was too hard on himself sometimes. Yes, he’s made some mistakes. Some worse than others, but he tended to make them seem worse than they really are.

“Veronica, thank you, but, you saw what happened.” Archie sighed.

“We all did.” Kevin was absolutely no help. Jughead and Cheryl shared a look.

“But getting back up on that stage by myself, I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”

“If it’s a partner you’re looking for, Veronica Lodge is more than willing and able.”

“Veronica, I didn’t know you could sing.” Betty smiled.

“Like a nightingale. So, what do you say Archiekins? Be the J to my bae?”

***

Archie sat on his bed and strummed on his guitar. He had a lot- _a lot_ going through his mind at the moment.

Jason was in love with Jughead. _Jason_ was in love with _Jughead_. What the hell? Wh- How did Jughead feel about that? Did he ever return his feelings even though Jason never said anything? Did that mean Archie had a chance? Or _never_ had a chance? How could he even deal with this? He shook his head and blocked all thoughts about Jason being in love with _his_ best friend.

Could he really perform with Veronica? What if he somehow screwed everything up? Not just while he was on stage, but with Veronica? He didn’t want to hurt her in any way. He stopped strumming when his dad knocked on the door.

“Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I got tickets for all the guys at work to come and see the show. Yeah, me and Hermione are, gonna go- together. With each other.” Archie held back a smirk. “I don’t really know how to say this. I don’t want to make too big a deal out of it-”

“Dad, it’s okay. You’re good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Archie smiled. He was glad that his dad could be happy. He missed his mom sure, but, he knew that they weren’t happy together. Plus well, Hermione was cool, and Veronica was cool, so… they were cool.

“Good, good. Because I do like her, and I think I’m ready.”

“I think if it’s something that makes you happy, then go for it. You’re good. Mom’s good. I’m… good.”

Fred looked at him curiously. “Is there something on your mind son?” Archie swallowed. “Is it about-”

“It’s not about you and Hermione, I meant what I said.”

“So there is something?” Fred sat down on the bed as Archie made room for him. Archie took a deep breath.

“Do you ever feel like…” he hesitated, “like you just always make mistakes and it never seems to stop?”

Fred frowned. “I’m sure we’ve all felt that way one way or another. But where’s this coming from? Are the kids giving you a hard time at school?” Archie shook his head.

“No, no more so than usual it’s just…” Archie looked down, “I seem to keep hurting people. Like each decision I make is wrong. I just want it to stop.” Fred wrapped an arm around him.

“We’ve all been there. Trust me. I’ve definitely made some bad decisions back in the day. I still do. We are not a perfect people. I think if we were, life would be pretty boring.”

“What did you do to- I don’t know…” Archie sighed.

“Make the bad feelings go away? I did my best to make up for the mistakes I made and tried to move on. Sometimes it was hard, and sometimes it just didn’t work out in the end. But the most we can do is try.” Fred pulled Archie in for a hug.

“Yeah. I guess. Thanks dad.” Archie said.

“Any time. Don’t be afraid to talk to me. I’m gonna get some dinner, how does Pop’s sound?”

“Sounds great.”

After school the next day, Archie found out that Valerie had quit the Pussycats. One more voice on stage wouldn’t hurt right? He, Valerie and Veronica could be a team. They’d have to arrange the song to fit three voices, but they could make it work since they had Valerie. He met Valerie in the student lounge where Veronica was also going to meet him. She came in just as he and Valerie finished practising.

“Uh, I don’t mean to be _that girl_ , Archie, but, I didn’t get the memo we were adding another voice to the mix.” Veronica didn’t exactly sound happy. Uh oh.

“Ronnie, uh, yeah, Valerie quit the Pussycats. The song sounds great with two voices, but I figured it’d sound even better with three. We were going to try to rearrange the music to-”

“Downgraded to _backup_. Next to a former _Pussycat_. _You_ are unbelievable Archie. You literally have _zero_ loyalty, you _ginger Judas_!”

“Whoa, Veronica why are you so mad?” Archie asked. “What’s wrong with three-”

“What’s _wrong_ , Archie, besides the fact that you have no integrity whatsoever, is that your father _kissed_ my mother.”

Valerie stood up. “Uh, maybe I should go.”

“No hold on, hold on. When my dad told me how he felt it seemed they were _both_ really into each other.” Archie tried to explain.

“They’re _married_. To other people.”

“Hey, my parents are separated and-”

“And _what_? Archie.” Veronica hissed, challenging him. He didn’t take the challenge. He’s not as stupid as some people believe.

“Uh, nothing just, I think you’re projecting your frustrations over that onto me. That’s not fair Veronica.”

“Well surprise, surprise _Archie_. Life isn’t fair. Some people just get the bottom of the barrel. But that won’t be me. Have fun with your _duet_.” Veronica left the room in a huff.

“Veronica!”

He sighed.

And another mistake.

Okay, so he knows it’s not _entirely_ his fault. Sure, maybe he could have told Veronica earlier, or asked for her opinion, but- Veronica totally took out her frustrations on him. _That_ wasn’t fair.

“Hey,” Valerie said gently, “you know that wasn’t your fault right?”

“Yeah. Well, it was partly my fault, but I know she was just projecting. I should probably go. Uh, I’ll see you around?”

“Yeah. Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

***

Cheryl parked on the side of the road in front of the home. They got out of the car and the three of them stared up at the building. “Ew. Reminds me of a funeral home or a hospital.” Cheryl remarked quietly.

“Hey,” Jughead said, “don’t judge a home by its façade, right?”

They entered the building.

They walked up to the reception desk.

“Hi, my name is Elizabeth Cooper, and these are my friends Forsythe Jones III, and Cheryl Blossom, we’re here to see my sister Polly? And I know my mother, Alice Cooper probably told you to notify her if she got any visitors could you… I don’t know, not?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Whatever she’s paying you, I’ll _triple_ it.” Cheryl said. “My parents won’t notice. It’ll be like a needle in a haystack. Not worth looking at.” She and the receptionist stared each other down.

“You _honestly_ think that I would commit such a sin?”

“Come on," Cheryl glanced at her name tag, "Irene, I know that even though you’re a believer you sometimes dabble in the sins. Not everyone is as clean as you believe. Everybody-”

“You despiteful young child. You-”

“How about this?” Jughead chimed in. He leaned over the counter. “We’re trying to solve the sinful, _brutal_ , murder case of Jason Blossom. We think that Polly might have some information that could be really useful in helping us catch who did it. We get that information, that sinner will get what’s coming to them.” He stared her down for a good minute.

“Fine. She won’t have to know. I’ll need some identification.” They each showed the receptionist their school ID’s. She looked at them and nodded. “Sign in here, you’ll have to wait.”

The three of them sat in the waiting room until they were called.

“Elizabeth?” the receptionist finally called them. She led them down the halls. “Polly’s room is right this way, although it’s silent reflection time and she usually spends that time in the garden of deliverance.” she explained. Betty nodded and briefly glanced into Polly’s room through the small circular window. Jughead and Cheryl glanced at each other.

Outside in the back, they found Polly in a beautiful garden area, just as the receptionist said.

“Uh, it’s beautiful, thank you.” Betty said and the three of them walked over to Polly. “Polly?” Their eyes widened as Polly turned around.

She was _pregnant_.

Holy shit.

“Betty!” Polly said happily. The two sisters hugged, and Polly then noticed the other two. “Cheryl!” Polly went and hugged Cheryl too. But she didn’t hug Jughead. She cleared her throat. “Jughead.”

Jughead narrowed his eyes briefly, but smiled. “Polly. You look good.”

“Thanks. I’m so happy, you all found us!”

“Polly, you’re- you’re…” Betty stammered as she placed a hand on Polly’s round stomach.

“With Jason’s?” Cheryl asked.

Polly nodded and smiled. “Please be happy for me Betty.” Betty smiled.

“I am!”

“Me too, oh god, I’m gonna be an _aunt_!” Cheryl smiled.

“I just- I’m so sorry I didn’t come sooner, I should have but mom and dad they sto-”

“No.” Polly interrupted, “What did they tell you? That I was _on drugs_? Alcohol?”

“They said you were sick. That…” Betty hesitated, “you tried to hurt yourself.”

“And they told _me_ , you didn’t wanna come and see me. Which, I knew was a lie.”

“So they locked you up because you were pregnant?” Betty said in disbelief. Polly shook her head.

“Because they couldn’t _control me_ , Betty. Mom and dad _hated_ that Jason and I were together.”

“My parents hated it too. It was a real Romeo and Juliet romance.” Cheryl said, while glancing at Jughead. Which made Jughead question how much romance was _actually_ there when Jason was in love with _him_?

Polly nodded, but smiled.

“They were thrilled when Jason dumped me. Your parents _forced_ him to break up with me. They didn’t want him dating _me_. A Cooper girl. But when I told him about the baby Betty, _our_ baby, oh he was so happy! We were gonna run away. Start our family in a beautiful place. Just the three of us, no one else.” Huh. That was… interesting. Cheryl and Jughead glanced at each other.

“That’s why he wanted to leave. He never told me the reason, just that he was going to do it. But I understand why. He might have thought that I would try to convince him not to go.” Cheryl sighed as the four of them sat on a bench.

“Would you have?” Polly asked her.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t really know what I would have done if I had known back then.”

Polly nodded.

“So, on July fourth, I packed my bag, and went downstairs to start our new life like we had planned. We were gonna meet on the other side of Sweetwater River. Just the three of us. But mom and dad found out about everything. When I went downstairs, there was a woman I didn’t know sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea, with two men behind her.”

“Oh my god.” Betty breathed.

“They threw me in the back of a van. I was screaming. I don’t think I stopped screaming until I got here in this place.” Her voice was shaking, but there were no tears. Betty shook her head as Jughead and Cheryl stared at her.

“Oh god…” Cheryl breathed.

“Have you guys talked to him? Does he know that I’m here?” Polly asked.

“Who Polly?” Betty asked carefully.

“Jason. If I give you guys a message will you make sure it gets to him?”

The three of them looked at each other uncertain.

She didn’t know.

“What does he think happened? He knows that I’m here because of mom and dad right?”

“Polly, you don’t understand-” Betty tried.

“I can fix this Betty. I know I can. You just have to help me get out of here. And I’ll go to meet him. I’ll go to the car on the lost highway off of rout forty. Once you pass the maple syrup sign, then you’ll know you’re almost there. See? I remember! I can meet him there, and we can live happily ever after like Archie and Jughead when they got together that weekend! And we can get married, and we’ll be happy and free! It’ll be beautiful. I remember. I’m packed, we’re packed. We’ll go to the farm just like we planned-”

“Polly stop.” Betty said.

Jughead’s mind completely froze.

Because _what_?

‘Live happily ever after- _like Archie and Jughead when they got together that weekend_.’ What… what the hell did _that_ mean? He couldn’t help but let out a little “Huh?” when she said that. Did… did that mean what he thought… that meant?

“What’s wrong Betty?” Polly asked.

“Jason…” Betty couldn’t say it.

“Polly,” Cheryl said quietly, Polly looked at her, then back at Betty.

“What? What did something happen to him? Something bad?” Betty and Cheryl only nodded. Polly then started crying.

Shit.

“Oh god. Oh god, I knew it.”

“Polly I’m so sorry.”

“I think it’s about time you three left.” said the receptionist. “ _Now_.”

Betty nodded and hugged Polly. “I’m gonna get you out of here Polly. I promise.” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

***

“Are you gonna do that? Like on the day? Because if I’m gonna be up there with you, we need to be on the same page.” Valerie said, interrupting their practise.

“Uh, yeah. What’s going on with you, you’ve been in a mood?” Archie asked.

“It’s just… I’m taking a risk too. A big one.”

“You mean quitting the Pussycats?”

“I met Josie and Melody when we were all working at Power Records. We used to practise in the stock room. I’ll never forget the day Josie came to rehearsal with cheap cat ears from the Halloween store. I found my voice with them.”

Archie held back a sigh and swallowed. Damn it. He was hurting not just one but _three_ people by asking her to sing with him. _Damn it, damn it, damn it!_ It won’t stop!

Later that evening, the Andrews were having dinner with the Lodge’s and the McCoy’s. Needless to say Archie was nervous.

“So, Myles. You being a professional jazz man? You must be living your dream right?” Fred asked as he took a bite of his food.

“Well, yes and no. The real struggle is always art versus commerce.”

“Yeah. It’s never really been about the big pay check.”

“But if we’re talking about the future, and long-term security, it can’t always be about following your bliss.” said Sierra.

“Personally I’m just excited to see my daughter perform with the Pussycats at the Variety Show.” Hermione said, changing the subject.

“Oh. Yeah.” Josie said.

“I beg your pardon? When were you going to tell me about this?” Myles asked. Archie swallowed. That man was the most intimidating person he’d ever met. Now he understood why Josie acted the way she did sometimes.

“Uh, it just happened, dad. And she’s really, really good- and Val quit. Or should I say we were Yoko Ono’d.” Josie pointedly shot a glance at Archie who looked down. He suddenly wasn’t very hungry.

“Really?” Myles said.

“Yeah.”

“That’s unfortunate. She was the real deal. Gave your act some much needed integrity.”

“Well I figure as long as the kids are having fun that’s the point right?” Fred asked. He gave Archie an encouraging glance, obviously he figured out what happened.

“Except it’s more than just about being fun for us. Isn’t it Josephine?” Myles said. Josie looked down.

“Josephine? Uh, I-I didn’t know that was your real name.” Archie said, trying to change the topic.

“After Josephine Baker.” Myles said. Then he looked at him sternly. Archie swallowed. “You have no idea who that is, do you?”

Archie would rather take stage fright right now than be here.

“Uh, Fred, you wanna get started on that presentation?” Hermione asked.

“Yeah.”

After the presentation and the meeting was over, Archie sighed as he fell down onto his bed. The sigh was both from relief that the meeting was over, and stress because of… well… everything else.

It _won’t stop_!

“So, Myles. He’s… intense.” Fred said as he entered the room.

“That’s one word for him.” Archie muttered. Fred walked over and sat next to him on the bed.

“Arch, come on, talk to me.”

Archie sighed. “They won’t stop.”

“The bad feelings?”

“The mistakes.” Archie took a deep breath. “I asked Valerie to sing with me because I was too scared to do it by myself. I hurt her, I hurt Veronica, and I hurt Josie _and_ her family I… How many more people have to get hurt before it stops?” his voice cracked near the end. “Dad what if, I choke up there and this ends up being a mistake? What if I tell Jughead how I feel and it ruins our friendship?” Archie couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

“Hey, hey. Come here.” Fred said softly and he pulled Archie in for a tight hug. “It’s okay to be scared. It’s more than okay to ask for help. Never forget that.” Archie sniffed but nodded. “Following your desires is never a mistake. Sometimes it might not work out the way we thought it would, but it’s _never_ a mistake. Never. Unless you know, it’s against the law on _so many levels_.”

Archie, even though he was still crying, nodded and let out a wet chuckle. They stayed like that for a while until Archie calmed down.

“Hey, you okay?” Fred asked.

“Yeah.” Archie said, his voice a little rough from crying. “Yeah I will be. Thanks dad.”

“Okay. Now how about some hot chocolate and a couple of movies?”

“Yeah. That sounds great.” Archie said. Archie knew what he had to do. He had to get Valerie back with the Pussycats, he had to apologies to Veronica, and…

He had to sing by himself.

***

Jughead walked fast as he headed over to Betty’s house. He grabbed the ladder from inside the shed- secretly of course- and leaned against the house underneath Betty’s window. He climbed up and tapped on the window. Betty smiled and opened the window.

“Hey there Juliet. Nurse off duty?” Jughead asked. Betty moved and let him in. “Okay.”

“They’re crazy. My parents are crazy.” Betty sighed.

“They’re parents. They’re all crazy.”

“No, what if- what if Polly is too? The way she was talking to me, the way she looked at me. And now all I can think is, maybe I’m crazy like they are.”

“Hey. We’re all crazy. We’re not our parents Betty. We’re not our families.”

“Yeah. I guess… Hey, Jughead, are you okay? You seem tense.” He was. He was tense. She was right. That was part of the reason he was here in the first place. Right.

“Yeah uh, Betty, I’ve done a lot of thinking. Mostly because I _can’t_ get it out of my head.” Jughead began pacing. He was stressed okay? He paces sometimes when he’s stressed.

“Okay sure, hey. I’m here for you.” Betty put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from pacing. “Jughead what’s wrong?”

“Okay.” Jughead took a deep breath. “Okay here it goes. Uh, Betty when Polly said ‘like Archie and Jughead when they got together that weekend’, uh… what did…” Jughead took a deep breath. “The guy that… Archie is in love with.” he hesitated. “Is it me?”

Betty didn’t say anything.

Jughead became anxious, which was something people were not used to seeing. Usually he hid it well. “Betty, _please_? I’m _begging_ you. Don’t give me that ‘it’s not my place to say’ crap. I _have_ to know.”

Betty sighed and closed her eyes for a second. She hesitated, Jughead swallowed his nerves.

“Yes. Jughead, Archie is in love with you.”

Things seemed to just, _stop_ for a good half a minute.

Betty’s expression seemed to range from _I can’t believe I just said that_ \- to- _God, please don’t hate him Jughead_.

Jughead, after a while managed to find his breath again. He reached out and hugged Betty tightly, much to her surprise. He usually didn’t do hugs.

“Okay.” he said after he pulled away.

“Okay?” Betty seemed confused. “Jughead-”

“I’m gonna go for it.”

Now Betty’s world seemed to freeze. “You- what?”

“Yeah. Yeah. I’m gonna go for it with Archie.” Jughead said, his nerves hadn’t really ceased like he thought they would.

Betty smiled widely. “Really?!”

“Really. Just uh…” Jughead swallowed nervously. “How do I- how do I do that?”

Betty smiled.

***

Archie swallowed nervously back stage as the Pussycats began their performance. There was _a lot_ of people out there. He tried to smile when Valerie glanced at him, but he didn’t know if it looked like a smile or not. He backed away from the stage and tried to get his breathing in order.

“Come on Archie, calm down. You can do this. You can do this. Just breathe.” he muttered quietly. “Breathe.”

“Okay. So this is my mea cupla moment.” Veronica said. “I was angry at my mom, and I took it out on you.”

“And I should have at least told you when Valerie quit the Pussycats.”

“Truer words could not have been spoken.”

“You holding up?”

“Honestly, I’m hanging on by my whiskers. You?”

“The prospect of total humiliation in front of the entire town is terrifying.”

“Want some company out there?”

“More than anything. But no, I have to do this on my own Veronica.” She nodded and smiled.

“Well, if you freeze out there, Red Troubadour, just focus on someone that makes you feel safe.”

“Archie!” Archie looked over to see Jughead. Betty, Cheryl and Kevin were talking quietly a little ways away. Well, Cheryl and Betty were talking, Kevin was sending what seemed to be a four page essay text to someone. Come to think of it, he’d been texting like that a lot lately. But he was a part of a bunch of clubs and whatnot.

“Hm, speak of the devil.” Veronica winked, causing Archie to blush lightly. She smiled and went to go find her seat.

“Jughead.” Archie breathed. “God I’m glad you’re here.” He backtracked. “Uh, y-you and them.” He could feel his face getting warmer. Shit. This was _not_ helping his nerves!

“Yeah. Wouldn’t miss it.” Jughead seemed to hesitate.

“Jughead?”

“Archie…” Jughead said quietly.

Then Archie’s world stopped as Jughead reached out and- and _kissed_ him.

Jughead was _kissing_ him!

Archie’s breathing hitched as Jughead deepened the kiss. Archie melted into it as his nerves and whatever fears he was feelings just seconds ago went away. He’d never felt anything so- sweet and _hot_ at the same time!

They pulled away and they both seemed to be a little breathless.

“Wow…” Archie said.

“The car.”

Archie blinked. Because, _what_?

“Uh, that- that’s what you’re thinking about during our moment?”

“No, uh, sorry. Archie, would you like to go on a date. With me?”

“Like- a _date_ , date? A-as in-”

“More than friends. Yes.” Jughead nodded.

“Yes. Oh my god, Jughead, _yes_!” Archie leaned in and kissed him.

“It’s _about_ time!” a voice said.

The two pulled a part as they saw Valerie, and Melody smiling and quietly cheering- along with everyone else backstage. Right. The Variety Show. Right- Archie was next. Kevin cleared his throat.

“And as hot as you two kissing is, Archie, you gotta go people are waiting!” Kevin pointed towards the stage.

“Right. Yeah.” Archie said quickly. But he was fine. He didn’t feel nervous like he had only moments ago. Valerie was right. Having Jughead here just before he went on- it calmed him. Archie quickly kissed Jughead on the cheek. “Guess I should go.” Archie went over to the stage and took a deep breath.

He could do this.

***

Jughead smiled as his friend- boyfriend? - walked onto the stage. Betty was right. The direct approach was the best way to get Archie’s attention. Jughead had never thought about dating anyone before. He’d never _felt_ anything for anyone before.

Before now.

That kiss- it made him feel strange. But it was a good strange. It was definitely good. Yep, he was certain that he wanted to try dating Archie.

“Well, you’ll be happy to know that you and Archie are now Riverdale High’s hottest couple.” Cheryl said as she and Betty came up beside him. Cheryl showed him the newly uploaded video of him and Archie on the gossip page- not uploaded by Cheryl apparently. That was nice of her. There _were_ other people back here though. Plenty of them had videotaped their moment and posted it. Jughead would normally be mad, but they had it coming. This wasn’t exactly a private area to be kissing in. Plus, most of the comments were positive so it’s not like it was traumatizing.

Traumatizing- Polly- Jason-

The car. Right!

“Oh yeah, the car! Uh, when we were with Polly she’d mention a car parked on the lost highway near some sign. If we can find it, then we can confirm her story.” Jughead said.

“Then she won’t be written off as crazy. Oh my god Jughead!” Betty hugged him tightly.

“We should go now before anything happens to it if it’s true.” Cheryl said as she put her phone away. “I know where the lost highway is, we can take my car.”

“You guys go ahead, I’ll stay behind for Archie. Good luck!” Jughead said and went closer to the stage. He and the girls nodded as they left to go find the car. Hopefully they did.

Jughead gave one more glance at the stage and went to find a seat in the audience.

Wow.

Archie was good.

Really good! The smile on Jughead’s face never went away. Neither did Archie’s. He felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Reggie- great.

“What?” Jughead whispered. “If you hadn’t noticed, I’m watching the show.”

“Yeah, me too.” Reggie whispered back with a sigh. “Look, I’m just- I’m sure you’ve seen the video by now, so I just wanna say congrats. That was cool.”

“Oh. Uh, thanks.” Jughead wasn’t really sure what else to say to that.

“And I’m sorry for heckling Archie at the auditions. He’s actually pretty good.”

“What?”

“Oh…”

They had an awkward moment of silence as Jughead glared at Reggie.

“I uh, thought you knew?” Reggie said slowly.

“We will talk later.” Jughead said just as slowly. Reggie swallowed. He should be scared. Jughead smirked once he turned around. No wonder Archie froze up there at the auditions. Damn football team and their stupidity. He wasn’t lying when he said that he and Reggie will _talk_ later.

His smirked soon turned into a smile as Archie’s song finished. When the Variety Show was over, they found each other in the hallway as everyone was congratulating Archie on his performance.

Archie brought Jughead in for a tight hug. A few girls somewhere on their right cooed. “Archie, everyone’s looking.” Jughead whispered. He tried to hide the blush appearing on his face.

“I know. Let them do what they want.” Archie whispered back. He pulled away from the hug and kissed Jughead. They ignored everyone else as they cheered and let out a few whistles. After the kiss they decided to go somewhere a little more private.

Later on, Jughead received a text from Betty saying that they’ve found the car and were going to get Polly. But when they got there…

She was gone.

And the window was smashed. There was blood on the glass.

Cheryl had also gotten the call that the car they had found, was now on fire.

 

Here’s the thing about fear. It’s always there. Fear of the unknown, fear of facing it alone. Fear that those closest to you are the monsters. Fear that as soon as you slay one, there’s another monster, waiting to take its place. Fear that there’s one more boogey man, waiting at the end of the dark hall.

Polly was out there, alone, bereft, unmoored. Where was she going? And what would she do next?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...  
> They actually got together earlier than I expected lol. But I have no idea what's going to happen next so, stay tuned for that!  
> :D  
> Also I didn't proof read as well as I usually do, I just wanted to get the chapter out. So sorry for any mistakes!  
> And yeah, I decided to add a little bit more Cheryl. I kind of missed her in this episode. Plus that way Juggie was able to stay behind for Archie instead of going along to look for the car. :)


	7. Seasons Came and Changed the Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Tuesday.  
> *SIGH*  
> Yeah... sorry... But I made it extra long so hopefully that makes up for it? (As well as lots of Jarchie moments! Yay!)  
> I'll admit I struggled with this chapter. I still feel "meh" about it, but whatever. I just hope that you like it too! :D
> 
> Also, me using the song lyrics from Cher's Bang, Bang as chapter titles is still going strong! Though... I'm not exactly sure if the line "We rode on horses made of sticks" will make it in... But we'll see. Maybe the show will surprise us and will have something that will totally work with that! lol

What makes a place feel like home?

Is it warmth, familiarity? Is it, idealized make-believe version of the American dream? Is it love, and acceptance? Or is it simple safety? Or, it’s none of those things. And it’s a place where a captain of the football team is murdered. Or maybe it’s just a janitor’s closet. Where it’s just you, and the mice and the spiders. And the old, awful smelling chemicals. Like an extra in Dexter that no one knows the name of.

Or maybe it’s the home of a former enemy.

* * *

 

Jughead made his way through the woods beside Thornhill. He was going to go spend the evening at Pop’s like he usually did, but the football team was getting together there for a meeting. So they say anyway. The coach wasn’t actually there, so… But then the quietest place to work on homework, with great wifi was the Blossom residents. Plus, weirdly enough, after a while he found Jason’s room to be much more comforting than Pop’s. Which was a big change for Jughead. It used to always be Pop’s. The burgers, the quiet murmurs of the people around him, paying him no attention.  Not to mention Pop’s himself. The kind quiet man in charge that can be incredibly intimidating when he wanted to be. That’s why everyone liked him. No one was afraid to talk to Pop’s about anything. And he wasn’t afraid to speak up when it was necessary. And scare the hell out of the people that deserved it.

But over time, things changed.

With the new knowledge of Jason’s love for him, Jughead had come to like the idea that someone was always there for him. Despite Jason never actually saying anything. But he was there. Trying to, in his own way, comfort him when Jughead was down. While other jocks might have bullied the town’s outcast, Jason never did. In fact, Jason would often stop the other guys if he was around to do it. Sure, he might have always said it’s not worth it, but Jughead now knew that that was a cover. To hide his love. It might have hurt at the time- but Jughead had already forgiven Jason for that.

Jason also had the guts to stop them from bullying Archie as well. Jughead knew that while they were kind of enemies, they did have some sort of mutual respect for each other.

He made his way over to the wall beneath Jason’s bedroom window after checking to see if there was anyone around. He climbed up and opened the window.

And he came face to face with Penelope and Clifford Blossom.

As well as Sheriff Keller, and his own father.

Uh oh.

“Shit.” Jughead said beneath his breath.

Penelope was holding the picture of him and Jellybean when they were kids. The only one he had of her.

Cheryl was beside her father, and looked guilty even though she didn’t have anything to be guilty for. Jughead swallowed.

“Shit indeed.” Cliff said, his voice monotone but serious. Jughead stared at the picture in Penelope’s hand. He had to get it before she did anything to ruin it. It was the only picture he had of Jellybean. He can’t let anything happen to it.

The room was full of tension.

“You _honestly_ thought that you could get away with hiding here? In _Jason’s_ room?” Penelope said, her voice full of disgust. “You have absolutely _no_ respect do you?”

“Mother-” Cheryl started, but didn’t get to finish.

“Watch your mouth woman. That’s my son you’re speaking to.” F.P. said with a glare. He didn’t say anything else. Penelope glared back at him.

“Your _son_ who has been _living_ in my house with _out_ permission from any of us.”

“Mother-” Cheryl was ignored.

“I will not have this _swine_ living in my house! In _Jason’s_ room! He would be horrified. Disgusted. And _violated_ -”

“MOTHER.” Cheryl yelled. Penelope finally looked at her. “It was _my_ idea. And if you wanna kick Jughead out, then you’ll be kicking _me_ out too.” she said and stood beside Jughead and helped him climb into the room. She linked her right arm with his left. Jughead didn’t say anything. He couldn’t. No words would come. He noticed that his father looked a little impressed, whether or not it was directed at him or Cheryl, he didn’t know. Maybe it was both. Cliff remained silent, but shocked. Penelope glared, shocked at her daughter. Cheryl glared back with more fire in her than ever.

“You think _this_ is what _Jason_ would have wanted? Some homeless _freak_ living in his bedroom?” Penelope seethed.

“I said watch your damn mouth! I won’t have you disrespect my son like that.” F.P shouted. Sheriff Keller stepped in between them before things got worse.

“Disrespect _your son_ -”

“Mother! He would have wanted this. I know he didn’t want you to know this, but if it will help you understand then so be it.” Cheryl took a deep breath. “Jason was in love with Jughead. He cared about him. Jason wouldn’t want Jughead living the homeless life. He’d want Jughead to have a roof over his head. To have food there for him whenever he wants it. To be _happy_. _We_ were happy! And it was a nice change for once. Jughead gave me a brother. I gave him a sister. We were starting to fill the holes they left when we lost them. So if he leaves, then I’ll leave. We can’t be left with holes that can’t be filled.” Jughead squeezed her hand. Cheryl’s voice was strong and only cracked at the last word. She was so brave. He wondered where she got that from. Her parents were so weak and _scared_. Scared of losing their image. Their reputation. Their _spectacular_ lives. It made him sick. Cheryl Blossom was definitely _not_ her parents. Neither was Jason.

Jason was brave even if he couldn’t _talk_ to Jughead, even if his main plan was to run away. It was _brave_. Stepping out of the comfort zone and talking on a new challenge is brave.

“My son was _not_ -” Sheriff Keller stepped in front of Cliff and cut him off.

“Not _what_?” Jughead knew a challenge when he saw it. He swallowed. There was no way Cliff would be stupid enough to insult the Sheriff’s son for being who he is.

“That’s enough.”

A new voice.

Jughead only recognized it because he’s heard it once before when he and Betty were investigating Jason’s room on the day of the funeral. (He hid his stuff well.)

Cheryl’s grandmother.

She wheeled herself into the room and stopped beside Penelope. She reached up and gently took the photo from her. Penelope just glared at some random spot in the room. Cheryl’s grandmother wheeled over to her and Jughead and handed him the photo. Jughead could only stare with a thankful look on his face as he took it. He put it in an inside jacket pocket. The old woman nodded with a smile, then turned to her daughter.

“I’ve known that this boy was living here since the beginning.” Wait, what? How? Jughead and Cheryl glanced at each other, both with the same expression on their face. “Ever since then, Cheryl’s been happier. I believe that they are good for each other. And I know the look of love when I see it. I’ve always known that Jason had feelings for this intelligent young man.” Jughead hid his blush well, despite his pale skin. It was weird getting complimented by Cheryl’s grandmother. Nice, but weird. Penelope scoffed.

“Intelligent. Mother-”

“Top of our class actually.” Cheryl butted in. “In fact, I’d say that Jughead is the smartest in the school. Including the teachers.” Jughead wasn’t sure how true that was himself, but it shocked her mother into silence, so he was thankful. He still remained silent, not knowing what to say, or if he should say anything at all.

“I think if things had turned out differently, he would have been a fine suitor for Jason.” Cheryl’s grandmother said, and Jughead found that he couldn’t hide his blush as well as before. He didn’t look at anyone. But he didn’t have to look to know that Cheryl was smiling. “Do not judge someone based on the way they live Penelope.” Jughead heard a small, quiet scoff, but Penelope said nothing. Smart move on her part.

“Mother, you can’t honestly think that-”

Hm, guess she’s not that smart after all.

“Penelope Jean Blossom, I thought I taught you better than this!” Penelope shut up. She also had the audacity to look embarrassed, even if it was just for a second. Cliff had moved off to the side, knowing that he shouldn’t be a part of this argument. She was Penelope’s mother after all, not his. “I’m very disappointed in you two. Just because I’m old, does not give you the right to boss _me_ around _missy_. I’m still your mother. _You_ do as _I_ say. And I say we should let Jughead decide where he should live.”

He knew exactly where he wanted to live.

As everyone turned to look at Jughead, he rose his gaze and looked Penelope straight in the eyes.

“I think I kind of like it here actually.”

Penelope and Clifford glared at him, while Cheryl smiled and her grandmother couldn’t hold back a small chuckle. Jughead risked a small glance at his father. He seemed proud, but sad. Sad because his son wasn’t coming home. Not yet. He couldn’t. It wasn’t a proper home until his dad got his act together again, and he could see Jellybean more often. Ignoring his father, Jughead glanced at Sheriff Keller, who seemed pleased. And maybe smug, but he hid it well so it was hard to tell really.

Penelope was about to say something- probably rude and obnoxious- but a glare from her mother stopped her. “Fine.” That’s all she said.

“We’ll work out some negotiations.” Sherriff Keller said. Penelope and Clifford only nodded, and didn’t say anything.

They were absolutely pissed. It was _so_ obvious. It made Jughead want to smirk, but he held it back. Cheryl didn’t though. Guess she got her personality from her grandmother, rather than her parents.

A while later, they had made up negotiations like the Sheriff had said. They were mostly for Jughead’s benefit though. Seeing as all he had to do was live at Thornhill as if he were a member of the Blossom family. Which- cool. He could live with that. His father could visit, but there were conditions and restrictions on _that_ given his history and everything. That made sense.

Jughead even managed to stay in Jason’s room. Well, Cheryl asked for it, but Jughead had asked her. It was sort of hard to put into words, but for some reason, sleeping anywhere other than Jason’s room just seemed… wrong. He didn’t know why he felt that way, but Cheryl seemed to understand. Cheryl also got her River Vixens back, so that meant that she’d be busy with them most days after school. For her parent’s side of the negotiations, it was a little different.

For one, they couldn’t kick Jughead out. He could leave if he wanted to, but they couldn’t force him. They couldn’t insult him every time they saw him. Until Jughead decided to go back to his family, they had to pay for anything school related, such as field trips, equipment, etc. Basically, they had to treat him like family. Which probably sucked for them.

And no one was allowed to say anything about the situation to _anyone_ unless Jughead said it was okay.

The next morning Jughead woke up at the regular time he had before he slept at the school and hid at Cheryl’s- he let Cheryl know though so there wouldn’t be any panicking about being late for school. It felt good to sleep a little longer. He’d been getting used to waking up early. He did his thing, and happily joined Cheryl at the kitchen table just as they were beginning to eat.

“Nice of you to finally join us-” Penelope started to say briskly, but stopped when they heard her mother clear her throat. She didn’t say anything for the rest of the meal. Cheryl was obviously holding back a snicker, but she didn’t hold back the smirk.

All in all, breakfast wasn’t as awkward as Jughead thought it might be. The only ones that were in a bad mood were Penelope and Clifford. And that felt surprisingly _good_. Things had changed, but, for the better. After breakfast, he and Cheryl got ready for school.

Nothing particularly exciting happened during the morning. Cheryl had dropped him off a few blocks away like usual, so that people didn’t question them.

It wasn’t until lunch things got a little weird.

He sat with the gang like usual, only Valerie was absent this time. “Have you guys seen Reggie? He was supposed to meet me to work on our English project, during our spare in second, but he didn’t show.” Kevin said.

“No, I haven’t seen him all day. Maybe he’s sick.” Veronica said with a shrug, and took a bite of her salad.

“He doesn’t usually get sick… but I guess…” Kevin sighed. Something was bothering him, Jughead could see it, but he didn’t voice anything. Maybe he was just paranoid after what happened with Archie. Jughead was a little paranoid himself, so it made sense. They still haven’t caught the person that did it. Nor the person that uploaded that recording of Archie’s phone call. Jughead suspected that it was the same person that killed Jason. But he wasn’t sure. He hadn’t told anyone this, because he didn’t have anything more than just suspicions. He needed facts and proof.

“He seemed fine yesterday, but colds and flew can quite literally come out of nowhere. Maybe it happened over night.” Betty said. She must have seen the worried look on Kevin’s face even though he tried to hide it. Her words however, didn’t seem to relief his stress, despite his tries at hiding it.

Whoever went after Jason could have gone after Archie too. But really, they didn’t know for sure. They just need one thing to connect the two cases together. Then they could confirm that the killer is either after teenagers, redheads, or is homophobic. But other than Archie and Jason, there haven’t been any more incidents.

Jughead glanced at the redhead sitting beside him. Archie seemed to be spaced out. Maybe he was trying to remember what happened to him? Or maybe he did remember and was getting sucked into the memories. Jughead instinctively reached out and squeezed his hand under the table. Archie blinked out of his stupor and gave a small smile.

As they headed to their lockers, Jughead pulled Archie off to the side. “Hey, are you okay? You kind of spaced out at lunch.”

“Oh, that. Yeah I’m fine. I’m just- I keep trying to remember what happened to me, but I can’t. I get these flashes of images but they come and go too fast for me to actually see anything. The last thing I remember from that night was walking home, then waking up in the hospital. The space in between that is just _blank_. I know I was passed out for, probably most of it though. But I wish I knew more. It’d help Sheriff Keller a lot.” Archie sighed.

“Hey,” Jughead said softly, “don’t beat yourself up just because you can’t remember something. None of that’s your fault, you can’t control it.” He leaned in and kissed Archie on the cheek. Archie smiled.

“Yeah I know. I just wish I didn’t feel so useless sometimes. Hey uh, can I ask you something?”

“Uh, sure.” Jughead said, wondering why the sudden change of topic.

“Um… okay. I don’t really know how else to say this, but… Okay. This morning I had to leave early and run an errand for my dad, then I was just going to walk to school from there. So I took a different rout.” He paused, and tried to collect his thoughts. So far nothing seemed odd. But it was just the beginning of the story. “Uh, I took a shortcut, and… I uh, saw Cheryl giving you a ride. I just… why?”

Oh. Yeah.

Jughead didn’t actually have a good answer for that other than the truth. Crap. Well, he knew that Archie would find out eventually. It’s better that he did from his boyfriend rather than someone else. He sighed.

“Okay, I’m not exactly living with my dad. Before you say anything, let me explain.” he said quickly when he saw the look on Archie’s face. He knew that look well. Archie held whatever he was about to say back and let him continue. “Things with him got bad. He started doing some stuff, and mom didn’t want her or Jelly and I to be a part of it. She decided to leave, but she only had enough money to take care of one kid. I was old enough to take care of myself, so I let her take Jelly. After a while, I just… couldn’t live with my dad anymore. So I left. Eventually I started working at the Twilight, and made that a temporary home. But then that didn’t last. After that, I started living at the school. Then Cheryl found my stuff a couple of days later, and asked me to live at her place. When I asked her why she said it was because of Jason.”

“Because Jason was in love with you.” Archie said slowly. Jughead wasn’t sure what his expression was. It looked like a weird mix of concern, worry, understanding and… jealousy? “So you’ve been living at the Blossom residents since then?” Jughead nodded.

“At first we kept it a secret from her parents because, well, you know why.” Archie nodded. “Then yesterday, her mom found out and had called Sherriff Keller and my dad. At first I thought that I was just going to have to find somewhere else to live, but then… Cheryl and her grandmother stood up for me. Cheryl’s grandmother totally told off her own daughter in _my_ defense. We ended up negotiating with Sheriff Keller and my dad. Long story short, yes. I’m living with Cheryl Blossom. My dad, needs to get his act together before we can be a family again.” Jughead finished, and watched Archie take it all in.

“Wow…” he finally breathed.

“Yeah.”

“And here I thought that Cheryl got her personality from her mother.”

Jughead chuckled. “Yeah, she’s definitely her grandmother, not her mother.” Archie smiled.

“But, why didn’t you tell me? You could have lived with me and my dad.” Archie said and brought his right hand up to cup the side of Jughead’s face. Jughead leaned into the warm touch and sighed.

“I don’t know. I guess, maybe I just didn’t want you to worry or something.” Truthfully, he didn’t actually know why he didn’t at least tell Archie. True, they were fighting at the time, but even when they made up he hadn’t said anything. Archie kissed him.

“Well, I’m glad you have a place now. Even if it is with the Blossoms.” Jughead smirked.

“What, jealous?” Archie blushed.

“What? No, why would I be?”

“You sure? Could have sworn I saw it when we talked about Jason.”

“I’m not jealous of him.” Archie huffed. Jughead snorted and kissed him.

“Relax, I’m just kidding.”

“Jerk.” Archie smiled and deepened the kiss. Just as Archie let out a small moan, they got interrupted.

“Typical new couple tropes. They ditched us in order to make out.” Kevin’s voice broke the mood and they turned to see the gang smirking, well, Kevin seemed more annoyed than smug but whatever. Archie blushed while Jughead just rolled his eyes. “But in case you hadn’t noticed, the first bell rang a few seconds ago. So unless you wanna be late for class-”

“Oh come on Kev, stop being a grump just because you don’t have a boyfriend.” Veronica said earning her a glare from him. She just shrugged and started heading for her locker. The others shrugged and followed.

Other than that, things were fine for the rest of the day. After school, Jughead met the gang, including Cheryl in the forest. They had gathered a group together to search for Polly. It was a pretty big group, which surprised Jughead. A large portion of it was a mix of cheerleaders, football players (including Chuck, it was probably part of his punishment,) and members of the swim team. Cheryl had probably convinced them to come though, but that was good. The more help they got the better chance they had at finding Polly.

“Huh, Reggie’s not here.” Archie said quietly as he looked at the group that had arrived. “I texted him and he said he’d be here. He’s gotta be sick then.”

“Yeah probably.” Jughead said with a shrug.

“Okay.” Betty said, silencing the group. “The Sisters of Quiet Mercy are due north. The getaway car was west, on the old Route forty.”

“Closest bus station is east, headed towards Sweetwater.” Cheryl chimed in. “If Polly would have wanted to leave Riverdale without anyone seeing her, she would have left through-”

“Right here. Eversgreen Forest.” Betty finished. They began their search.

Jughead and Archie walked side by side, hand in hand.

“Hey uh,” Archie whispered, “I know this probably isn’t the best time, but my dad said he’d give yours a second chance. All he has to do is take it.”

Jughead sighed. “It won’t be that easy.” His dad was stubborn. He could hold a grudge for years if he wanted.

“Talk to him Juggie. Maybe he’ll come around.”

“Maybe.” Archie squeezed his hand, and went to talk to Betty for a bit. Jughead stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and kept his eyes open for any signs of Polly. Cheryl, despite being among a large group of people, decided to walk beside him. Her grandmother had wanted to come, but her doctor had said it was a bad idea. The support was appreciated though.

“I know we said to stick our roles in public, but, I don’t feel like walking with anyone else.” Cheryl whispered. Jughead smiled.

“Hey, it’s fine. Oh, I told Archie. He saw me riding with you this morning and I had no other explanation.”

“How’d he handle it?”

“Pretty well actually. He’s just happy that I have a place.”

“That’s good,” Cheryl smiled, but then she glanced in another direction, and the smile disappeared, “uh oh.”

Cheryl’s parents were out as well with another group, and search dogs. And Sheriff Keller. Not good.

The two groups met.

“Alice Cooper.” said Penelope. “Where is she? Where is Polly?”

“You think if I knew that I would be out here with the mosquitoes?”

“Face facts Cooper. She was in the home, she escaped, she set the car on fire, and _she_ _killed Jason_.”

“We don’t _know_ that _mother_! And she wouldn’t have killed Jason. She loved him.” Cheryl said, stepping up beside Alice.

“She’s escaped from the asylum once. Who’s to say she didn’t do it before?” said Cliff. “Say the day Jason got murdered?”

Penelope took a few steps closer to Alice. “The noose is tightening around your murdering daughter’s neck. I know it, Sheriff Keller knows it-”

“Hold on now-”

“And I promise you. When we find her, and we will find her… the entire town of Riverdale will know too.”

At least they had the relief that Sheriff Keller wasn’t stupid enough to believe that Polly did it. At least not without more evidence.

A shrill scream broke through the tension.

The group turned and headed towards the noise. They found one of the cheerleaders on the ground crying with her friends surrounding her.

“Oh my god.” Kevin breathed, taking in the sight. “I knew it. I knew something was wrong when he didn’t show up today.” he said quietly. He stepped forward, behind the crying girl-

To where Reggie was.

His back was against a tree, his arms around it tied tightly, shirtless, covered in scrapes and bruises, and he was unconscious. He was also slightly sunburned due to being outside without anything to cover him for- God knows how long. Since this morning? Since _yesterday_? How come we didn’t find him until _now_? There was a piece of paper stuck to the tree just above his head.

“Don’t touch him.” Sheriff Keller said. He knelt down beside Reggie and checked for a pulse. “Get an ambulance.” He called through the radio.

Archie walked forward and stood beside Kevin. It seemed like that was all he was going to do though. Cheryl stepped forward and took the piece of paper.

“I told you to stop looking. Just be glad it isn’t Polly.” she read. Holy crap. Betty came up beside her.

“It’s _not_ Polly’s hand writing. It’s someone else.”

Cheryl turned to her parents. “Polly is _not_ the bad guy here. Got it? We are _not_ hurting her.” Her parents just frowned and glared.

Then Archie’s phone buzzed, but his wasn’t the only one. The sports boys, and cheerleaders took out their phones, as well as Jughead. “Oh god…” Kevin whispered.

“It’s from Reggie’s phone.” Archie said. “I told you I’d be here.”

Jughead swallowed. What the hell did this mean?

“They mentioned Polly, is it connected to Jason? Or did they just mention her because everyone’s been talking about her?” Cheryl asked. That was a good question. Sherriff Keller didn’t answer.

He was looking oddly at Reggie’s face. He leaned forward and reached out. He brushed away Reggie’s wet bangs (it had rained last night, so that was an even crueler thing to do to him.) On Reggie’s forehead was a mark.

A circle, with an X through it.

A target. Possibly for a bullet.

Sheriff Keller ignored the gasps the crowd gave and turned to Cheryl who stood staring wide eyed.

“You tell me.”

The next day wasn’t that great. The gang was ordered to spend the day at home. They were only allowed the day off of school because they were the ones who found Reggie. Authorities thought it was best they take a day off to rest. They were also ordered to never leave the house alone, to always have at least one person with them. It was a new policy ordered for high school students, and younger students.

Jughead spent most of the day curled up on Jason’s bed with Cheryl. They mostly just watched whatever they thought was interesting on Netflix. But they both knew that neither one was paying any attention to what they were watching.

“You think Reggie’s okay?” Cheryl asked quietly after a while. Jughead glanced at her, but she had her eyes on the computer screen. He put his arm around her and she leaned on him for comfort.

“I don’t know about mentally, but physically, probably. Archie’s okay now. He doesn’t remember what happened, but considering what he and Reggie looked like, that might be a good thing.” Jughead said. He wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince, Cheryl or himself. He knew that physically, Archie was okay now. His body would grow and move on from it, but what about his mind? What scars did the killer leave? Did Archie tell him everything he knew? Was he hiding something? Jughead knew that Archie told him the truth about trying to remember, but what about those quick flashes of images that he mentioned? Did they just go by too fast to see, or did he see them and not tell him?

Cheryl didn’t respond, but she frowned. Probably thinking about Jason and everything else that had happened this year.

The day after that, Jughead went to talk to his dad. Cheryl drove him there, and waited for him in the car a few blocks away. Jughead entered the place that was only home when his sister and mom had been there.

It looked like crap. The TV was on though, so that meant that dad was home. Jughead heard him before he saw him. The man coughed a few times as he entered the room.

“The prodigal son returns.”

Jughead held back a sigh or sarcastic remark. Now was not the time.

“How you doing? You look good.”

Jughead nodded. “I'm hanging in there. Cheryl’s parents are keeping their end of the _deal_ so far. Didn’t even take the time to insult me.”

“Yeah?”

“I came by to ask If you would consider going back to work with Fred Andrews.”

F.P. scoffed. “Yeah, he called me. I said no.” Jughead glared at him. “He fired me, Jughead. What kind of man would I be if I went back, hat in hand?”

Now Jughead scoffed. “For starters? A man with a job, trying to fix his family.”

“Talk to your mom. She's the one who gave up on us, took your sister.” F.P. went and sat down in the arm chair. Jughead sighed quietly.

“Can you please just go see Mr. Andrews? He's willing to give you another chance.”

“Oh, he's willing, huh? That's generous of him, after all the crap he pulled on me.”

“Dad, don't you want to see our family back together? Mom and Jellybean could come home. _I_ could come home.” Jughead walked towards the front door. “It's not too late.” With that said, he left.

“How’d it go?” Cheryl asked carefully.

“To be honest, I don’t know. He said he didn’t want the job, but his expression said otherwise. I’m not sure what he’s going to do.”

Cheryl didn’t say anything for a few seconds. Jughead figured she was choosing her words carefully.

“You wanna go see Reggie? Got a text from Archie saying it’s okay to visit him.” Huh. Jughead didn’t see that one coming. But he nodded.

“Yeah. Sounds good.”

They arrived at the hospital and found Archie and the gang in the waiting room. Moose and Chuck were there as well. No one questioned why Jughead and Cheryl arrived together, but that was fine. It was none of their business, so they didn’t have to know.

“Hey.” Archie said as soon as he saw them.

“Hey.” Jughead replied. Cheryl sat beside Veronica, and Jughead sat beside her, while Archie sat beside him. “So what’s the plan?”

“Only a few can visit him at a time, so his family are in there right now. Then Moose and Chuck are gonna go, then Betty, Kevin and Ronnie. Then you, me and Cheryl.” Archie explained.

“Did they say if he remembers anything?” Cheryl asked. Archie shook his head.

“No, they didn’t. But if what happened to him is anything like what happened to me, then he probably won’t remember.” Archie said glumly. Cheryl frowned and nodded. They waited for a good half hour before Moose and Chuck went in after Reggie’s parents. Jughead hadn’t really met the guy’s parents but they seemed okay. For Riverdale parents, since everyone aside from Archie seems to have slightly crazy parents. Or at least they just make bad decisions.

Jughead suddenly remember the way Kevin was acting and he glanced at him. He appeared calm, but his bouncing leg and slightly shaky hands said otherwise. Was he scared, or just nervous? Jughead, while he didn’t know Kevin very well, knew at least that he and Reggie weren’t exactly friends. They weren’t even friendly with each other. Reggie constantly made fun of Kevin whenever he had the chance. Suddenly this situation peaked Jughead’s interest.

“I’ll be back.” He told Archie, who nodded. He seemed to have picked up on Kevin’s odd behaviour.

“Uh, hey.” Jughead said quietly as he sat down beside Kevin. The boy flinched as if he forgot where he was having been trapped in thoughts.

“Uh, hi?”

“Okay. I know we don’t exactly hang out without the others, but I just wanted to see if you were okay.”

“Oh.” It seemed as though the statement genuinely surprised him. “Uh, fine for the most part.” he sighed. “I’m just… worried. Which I think is kind of stupid, because we aren’t even friends. We’re not even acquaintances.”

“It’s not stupid to be worried about someone Kevin. Even if you weren’t friends. That just means you care despite that.”

“Yeah… it’s just, he bullies me every chance he gets.”

“Wait, how exactly does he bully you? Uh, if you don’t mind me asking.” Kevin just shrugged.

“It’s not really physically, mostly just verbally. I don’t even know why. It’s not because I’m gay, I at least know that much.”

“Huh…” Jughead thought about it. “Maybe,” he hesitated, “he wasn’t trying to bully you.” Kevin just looked at him.

“What?”

“I mean, like, what if that’s not what he was trying to do? What if he was just trying to get your attention?”

Kevin scoffed. “You’re not suggesting what I _think_ you’re suggesting.” Jughead merely shrugged. “Come _on_ , man. It’s _Reggie_. He does one week relationships, and one night stands.”

“Yeah, so maybe he wants you or something. I don’t know Reggie that well. Just that occasionally he’s a bit of a jerk. He verbally bullies me, but definitely not as often as he does you. I’m just saying that it could be one reason why he does it. Maybe he doesn’t even know he’s doing it.”

Kevin gave a quiet sigh. “Maybe. God I don’t know. I guess if I really wanna know, I’ll- just have to ask him.” Just then, Moose and Chuck came back, and said that they had to leave. Kevin took a deep breath and stood up with Betty and Veronica.

Jughead offered a weak “good luck” to Kevin and sat back with Archie.

“So, everything alright with him? He’s been acting odd since we found Reggie.” Archie said.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. Just worried.” Archie nodded, and looked over at Cheryl. She’d been in her own little world ever since they got here. But Jughead knew what she was thinking about. Jason and his case. “Uh, hey Cheryl?” Archie said. She blinked a few times and looked up at him. “I just wanted to thank you, for uh,” he glanced at Jughead, “what you did.” He reached over and took Jughead’s hand in his. Cheryl smiled.

After a while, the others came back, the girls were smiling and talking quietly, but Kevin was pretty quiet. He seemed to be lost in his head. Maybe Jughead shouldn’t have talked to him. But he figured if they were going to be friends of friends and hanging out more often, then why not give it a shot?

“Okay, update on Reggie, he seems to be doing okay.” Betty said as they sat down. “He is a little drugged up though, so he’s kind of tired. Plus he’s been getting visitors all day.” Jughead and the two redheads nodded, and headed towards Reggie’s room.

When they got there, Betty was right. Reggie looked exhausted. Jughead almost felt bad for being the last visitors. Other than looking tired and having a few scrapes and bruises, he seemed fine. He wasn’t wearing a hospital gown like patients usually do, since he was left out in the rain probably overnight, he was in warmer clothes. His face was a bit red most likely from a sun burn. He was strapped to a few machines, like Archie had been.

“Hey pal,” Archie said as they sat down in some chairs, “how are you doing?”

“Tired mostly. A bit sore, but they drugged me up pretty good. And I think I got sunburned, was I outside?”

“You were tied up to a tree and left out in the rain overnight, and all day until we found you.” Archie explained. Reggie sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Do you remember anything?”

“No.” Reggie shook his head. “The last thing I remember is I was walking to my car, then I woke up here. Do they at least have any leads on who’s doing this?”

“We think-” Cheryl hesitated, “We think it might be connected to Jason’s case.” Reggie’s eyes widened. “You had a target painted on your forehead.” Reggie swallowed and looked away.

“Man…” he sighed. He seemed stressed, but they couldn’t blame him. Jughead would probably be stressed too if the roles were reversed.

“There is one thing that’s troubling me though.” Jughead said. “When we found you, many of us received a text. Including me. From your phone. But the thing is, I never gave you my number. And it’s not in the phone book.” Reggie looked at him and frowned.

“And I for sure didn’t get it from anyone else.”

“So whoever did this could know Jughead.” Archie said. Cheryl sighed.

“Or looked at someone else’s phone, like one of ours, or his dad’s.” she said. Everyone sighed. Damn it. Jughead thought he had something there, but she had a point. Jughead’s phone suddenly buzzed, and he took it out.

“Oh, it’s just Betty. She found Polly at her place, and she’s gonna stay with Veronica.” He said, and texted back a “cool, okay thanks.”

A few days later, Reggie was able to go to school. Things were fine until lunch a few days after that, when Kevin noticed him sitting by himself in a corner. Jughead’s not exactly exaggerating either. He was literally alone in a corner.

“Hey guys,” Kevin said as they sat down, “why is Mantel the Magnificent sitting by himself alone in a corner?” They all turned their heads, and sure enough, on the other side of the courtyard was Reggie. By himself. Not looking very happy either. The group gave each other concerned looks, and headed over to him. He glanced at them when they sat down, but kept his eyes on his food.

“So… wanna talk about why Mantel the Magnificent is significantly less magnificent than usual? Uh, aside from the past week that is…” Archie said when Betty gave him a look. Reggie sighed.

“That’s just it. Everyone keeps looking at me weirdly. They keep asking me about what happened, but I don’t know anything. I _can’t_ remember.”

“Yeah, they were like that with me too. Things went back to normal after a while though.”

Reggie sighed. “My parents are watching me like a hawk. I can’t do _anything_ aside from go to school, and football practice. I can’t even do football yet because Coach Clayton said to wait until I’m one hundred percent better. I feel like I might go crazy if I don’t go out and _do_ something soon.”

“They’re just being parents, they’re just worried.” Veronica said.

“Yeah. I get why they’re doing it, I just wish I can _actually_ _have_ a life instead of just living it.”

“Hey, with any luck they’ll catch the person that’s doing this soon, and things will go… relatively back to normal.” Kevin said with a smile and a shrug. Things won’t be _totally_ back to the way they were before all of this crap, but it can come pretty close. Reggie just shrugged.

Fourth period is when things got worse.

Sheriff Keller and Principal Weatherbee walked into the classroom Jughead was in.

They came to _him_. They took _him_ away.

“Call my dad.” Jughead said quickly to his friends as he passed them.

“Yeah of course.” Archie said.

Jughead swallowed. As if things for him weren’t bad enough. Now he was a freaking _suspect_.  He passed Cheryl in the hall and gave him a look that was a mix of concern, worry, and anger. Anger most likely directed at Sheriff Keller. Jughead gave her a pleading look when no one was looking at them. She nodded.

They arrived in the interrogation room. But before they could even start, Cheryl burst in.

“What is the _meaning_ of this?” Cheryl demanded.

“You’re not supposed to be back here. Neither of you.” said the Sheriff.

“Neither is Jughead. Why is he here?”

“Calm down now.” Keller said with a sigh. “He’s here under suspicious circumstances. We have reason to believe he might have been at the river the week Jason was murdered.”

“ _What_?” The two of them said.

“I was never at the river.” Jughead said stiffly.

“Really.” Sheriff Keller brought out a laptop and played some security footage. “So, this isn’t you walking down the highway?” Yes. It is. He went out of town sometimes when he was looking for a place to sleep undisturbed.

“Yeah, but in case you _forgot_ , Sheriff Keller, I didn’t have a place to sleep. I was looking for one. It just _happens_ to be quieter out of town.”

“That’s a pretty far leap for a Sheriff.” Cheryl growled.

“Alright. Then how about here.” Keller clicked onto another stream of footage. “Is this _not_ you getting into a 1970 Chevy, parked outside of Pop’s and driving it towards the river?”

Jughead stared at the footage. It looked like him. The person was his height, wore his clothes, had his hair colour- but it _wasn’t_ him. He wasn’t at Pop’s that night, by then he’d found the Twilight Drive-in.

“That’s _not_ me. By then I had found a job at the Twilight. I wasn’t even at Pop’s, I was working. I don’t even have a license, I don’t own a truck. And even if I did have a license, I’d never go for a truck.”

“Uh huh. Principal Weatherbee also allowed me to look at your past records. You have a long and rough history, Mr. Jones. Bullied a lot.”

“Yeah. When I was a kid, I decided to call myself _Jughead_. And my original name is _Forsythe_.” Jughead said.

“By the football team, in particular.”

“It was _never_ Jason. He even stopped them when he was there.”

“Jason was _in love with him_ , in case you forgot _Sheriff_.” Cheryl seethed. “They never had any qualms. _This_ is ridiculous.”

“I would never hurt anyone.”

“I thought you were the Sheriff.”

“I’m just trying to do my job, and find Jason’s killer.” Keller sighed. “Now tell me this, how come you said Reggie never had your number, but you got a text from _his phone_ like everyone else?”

“I _don’t know._ The person could have gotten it from someone else’s phone! I’m done talking to you. I want a lawyer.” Jughead said.

“You’ll get one.” Cheryl said determinedly with a nod. “Best one in the state.”

“Is my dad here yet?”

“Archie’s here with his dad, we couldn’t find your dad.” Cheryl frowned. Jughead nodded. His dad was probably drunk somewhere.

After a while, Jughead found himself outside of the interrogation room with the Andrews, and his friends. Archie quickly went up to him and hugged him tightly. “Are you okay?” Archie kissed his cheek.

“Not really.” Jughead mumbled.

“Sheriff Keller,” Fred walked up to him, “I believe you’re mistaking.”

“How so?”

“Jughead was working for me that week. Asked him to help remove some dry wall.”

“And can you provide me with documents proving that statement?”

“I have to check my time cards, but yes.” Jughead owed him one. When the Sheriff wasn’t looking, he sent Fred a look of appreciation. He gave a small smile and nodded.

“Jughead!” F.P. hurriedly jogged up to him. _Finally_. _Where the hell have you been?_ Jughead forced those thoughts away. He still came after all. “I'm sorry. I came as soon as I got your messages. My phone, the friggin' battery. I forgot to plug it in last night. What the hell happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing my ass. What happened?”

Jughead sighed. “I’m a suspect. But I didn’t do _anything_. They have footage of me driving towards the river, but that’s _not me_. I swear. I don’t even know how to drive.”

“I believe you. Trust me, I do. We’re gonna find out who’s posing as you, and why.” Jughead nodded, but didn’t say anything.

“Why don’t we take a break from this, and the four of us go to Pop’s? I’m buying.” Fred suggested. The three nodded.

“Well, how about five, I’d like to thank Cheryl properly for what she’s been doing for my kid.” F.P said and smiled at Cheryl. She smiled back. Jughead could have sworn that she was blushing, but that could have just been her makeup.

At the diner, the five of them sat in one booth, with Jughead between the two redheads on one side, the two adults on the other. They talked for a while, then… Archie put his arm around Jughead and pulled him closer.

“So…” F.P. said, glancing at their position. Archie was already blushing before he even asked the question. “Is there something going on between you two that I should know about?”

Jughead cleared his throat and held back a sigh. He knew his dad would have known eventually. Better he found out from his son than that damn video. He sat up a little straighter.

“Uh… yeah… we uh, we’re… dating.” His dad smirked.

“Yeah I know I saw the video. A friend showed it to me.” Jughead blinked and looked at Fred. He just smiled.

“Figured it’d better from me than someone else.” Fred shrugged.

“Traitor.” Jughead mumbled. Fred chuckled.

“So.” Cheryl said smiling, and, Uh oh. Jughead knew that smile. “How does it feel to be the fathers of- according to Riverdale High- Riverdale’s hottest couple?”

The two fathers laughed.

“Hottest couple huh?” F.P. said. Jughead couldn’t prevent the heat in his face. Damn it. “Guess it feels pretty good. I’ll take it as a compliment towards me.”

“You would.” Fred chuckled.

“Hey, did you guys know that someone from the high school made a Facebook page dedicated to you?” Cheryl asked as she passed her phone to Jughead.

“What?” both boys said.

It was true.

“Holy crap. That is _weird_.” Archie said. “There’s a whole bunch of pictures of us together. Most of them are cropped because we were with the others.”

“Hey, this one was just uploaded now.” Jughead said and zoomed in on a cropped picture of them smiling at each other in the booth that they were currently in. “Uploaded by… Hey.”

The two boys looked up and over at their friends sitting another booth not too far away.

“Veronica, really?” Archie said. She just shrugged as everyone looked at her.

“So I’m a fan and I had an opportunity. So sue me.” she smirked. Everyone just smiled and a few shook their heads.

It suddenly occurred to Jughead that Fred hadn’t been let in on the fact that he’s now living with Cheryl. He wondered if Archie had told him. But he figured that for now, it didn’t matter. They’ll deal with it when they get there.

The rest of the evening went by smoothly.

When he and Cheryl got back to Thornhill, her mother had informed them that they’ll be driven to school by the Blossom’s butler. His name escaped Jughead’s mind. But he was at least kind. Nicer than the people he was working for. So in the morning the guy parked in front of the school. Guess they couldn’t really hide their friendship any longer.

Jughead and Cheryl sat in the back seat and took a few moments.

“Ready to blow a few minds?” Cheryl asked.

Jughead smirked.

“I’ve been doing that since I learned how to do it.”

Cheryl smiled and opened the door. She stepped out with Jughead close behind her.

Instantly they were met with stares.

From then on everything had changed.

There was a tension in the air of a small town that had never been there before. New suspects in a case that shouldn’t exist. Old habits were supposedly going to be thrown away. New habits would come. Old friends would be ditched, new friends would come. Some changes are for the better.

But Riverdale’s change was cold like the upcoming winter that laid ahead. Nobody knew what laid ahead. But they knew one thing.

A home of perfect happiness and safety was gone.

Riverdale had a murderer on the loose. A threatening, violent, smart murderer.            

Riverdale was dangerous.

* * *

 

Hope.

A word so close to home, and as tricky.

As much as they wanted Jason's killer caught, and the town, the home, to feel safe again, with every day that passed, their hopes dimmed more and more.

There's that old, clichéd saying, it’s darkest before the dawn.

But sometimes there's just darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah... there were a few things in this chapter that I didn't expect. Like the whole thing with Kevin and Reggie. That one came out of nowhere.  
> As for the stuff that went down between F.P. and Fred well... don't worry, I'm not leaving that out. We'll get there.
> 
> I knew that I had to find another reason why Jughead would be taken in for questioning, since Sheriff Keller knew he and Jason were good, and not enemies. So that's where that came from.
> 
> Well, let me know if anything feels "off" or not right, or if there's a mistake. I'll see what I can do. :D


	8. Bang, Bang (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, metaphorical bangs, not literal. :)
> 
> WARNING: There's a panic attack in this one, though it's not descriptive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S BACK! GUY'S IT'S BACK! :D  
> lol  
> Anyway.  
> This one I decided to do in two parts because it was getting freaking LONG. Like, I was only twenty-five...ish minutes into the episode- not even half way when I decided to finish this chapter. So... yeah. Two parts.  
> You'll either get part two this week, or you'll get two chapters next week. (I don't wanna fall behind lol.)
> 
> And BETTY'S POV! Finally! Well, sort of. It is more Archie's POV for most of it, but I think there will be more of Betty in part two. :D  
> Also I just did a quick editing job so sorry if I missed anything.

The Coopers.

The Stepfords of Rivderdale. High school sweethearts who got married and had two beautiful daughters. Polly, and Betty.

Until Jason Blossom happened.

And now, they would hear from the person closest to him those days leading up to his disappearance. Polly Cooper. How a casual conversation turned into an epic forbidden romance. At least, that’s what it seemed like. How, for reasons still murky, their respective parents tried to tear them apart. How their break up was short lived because Polly soon learned she was pregnant with Jason’s baby. How they had become secretly engaged with his grandmother’s blessing and her heirloom ring. And made plans to run away together. To start a new life, and how their dreams of escape went up in flames.

How Jason was really in love with Jughead but was too afraid to do talk to him.

But now there was one question.

One thing that was looming over a few people’s heads since the news of Jason’s love for Jughead.

Did Polly know about Jason’s real feelings? And if so, how exactly did she handle it?

* * *

 

Betty sat beside her sister at the Lodge’s residence as the meeting began. Veronica sat on her other side. Betty held Polly’s hand as she took a deep breath.

“That was the last day you saw him?” Sheriff Keller asked.

“At Pop’s. When he told me the plan. That he was going to fake his own death, and that we would meet up. But before that could happen, my mom and dad sent me away.” Polly explained.

“One of Jason’s teammates said that before, Jason was dealing drugs.” Betty said gently. She didn’t want to assume the worst, and she didn’t want to hurt her sister. But she had to know.

“Making a _one time_ delivery.” Polly said, confident. That was news. Betty let herself relax just a little bit knowing that she was thankfully wrong. “He needed- _we_ needed money. To get away, and start over.”

“So, Riverdale’s star football player becomes a drug mule?” Sheriff Keller said.

“He went to a bar on the other side of the tracks, and made a deal with some biker gang.”

“The Serpents?”

“He got an address. Upstate. Where he was supposed to deliver the drugs, in exchange for cash.”

“The drugs you found in Jason’s car.” They nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Went up in flames.”

“Along with everything I had left of Jason. Including the ring his nana gave me. Which he was keeping, until…” Polly couldn’t hold back tears. Betty swallowed and hugged her sister.

“Okay, Sheriff, I think that’s enough for tonight.” Hermione said standing up. “Polly needs her rest.”

“Yes, I’ll uh be in touch ladies.”

“Oh, um… I know you need rest but just one more thing.” Betty said. But she wasn’t sure if she should do it now or later. She had to know though. “Did… did you know about Jason’s feelings for Jughead?”

Everyone went quiet, and Hermione looked shocked. Which, of course she is- because she didn’t hear about it until now. Polly sighed.

“Yes. The night… I got pregnant, he had accidentally said his name. We talked and I promised that I wouldn’t tell anyone. God he was so… _scared_. The look in his eyes just…” Polly looked down. “I didn’t have it in me to be angry at him. But we agreed to break up. Then I found out I was pregnant. He was scared, but he also seemed to be happy at the same time. Then we made the plans to run away together. We weren’t actually going to get married, but we were going to fake it. He loved Jughead, but he didn’t want to leave the baby. So that was our arrangement. A fake marriage. That’s it.” Polly finished explaining with a quiet soft voice just above a whisper. Her eyes were still wet with tears, and she seemed tired. Betty hugged her closer.

“Thank you for sharing that.” Sheriff Keller said gently. Polly nodded.

“I’ll show you out.” Hermione told him, and the two left the room. Betty turned to her sister who let out a deep breath.

“We’re gonna get you through this. Okay?” Betty said softly. Polly nodded.

***

“Gotta stop blowing me up.”

“You’re going the wrong way. You- you’re-”

“Dude!”

The TV screen cut to the familiar GAME OVER and the two boys sighed.

“Come on.” Archie said with a frown.

“You’re the one who _accidentally_ keeps killing me.” Jughead shot back with a smirk. Archie glanced at him. Archie _really_ hasn’t been doing that on purpose, but he decides to just act as though he was. Truth is Jughead always beats him at video games. No matter what it is.

“War is hell Jug.”

Jughead scoffed and rolled his eyes. “No, Archie. Hell is other people.” He had a point. But Archie wasn’t going to say anything and make his ego any bigger than it already is. Instead he leaned over and kissed Jughead on the cheek. He was about to say something when Fred knocked on the door.

“Hey guys, it’s getting pretty late- whoa…” Fred scrunched up his nose at the weird smell in the room that had somehow emerged after several hours. “Kind of ripe in here, someone wanna open a window?”

“Uh, yeah. I’m on it.” Archie said and got up.

“So, Jug, how’s life at the Blossom residents? The parents giving you any trouble?” Fred asked. Guess F.P. told him, since Archie hadn’t yet. He figured it wasn’t his story to tell, but it was Jughead’s.

“Oh it’s not bad. Them having to treat me like family was a pretty huge part of our little legal deal we made with Sheriff Keller. And Cheryl’s like a sister to me, which is something I never thought would happen. Cheryl’s grandmother even told me to call her Rose or Nana.” Jughead said with a smile. Archie couldn’t help but smile. He loved the fact that Jughead was now having a life that he deserved.

“Yeah F.P. mentioned that they were the ones to jump-start it. I guess not all Blossoms are uh…” Fred trailed off.

“Evil?” Archie suggested and Fred scoffed but there was a smirk on his face.

“Cliff and Penelope.”

“So evil.”

Jughead snorted.

“Alright you two, go to bed. I’ve got a big day tomorrow.” Fred sighed, though he was still wearing a smile.

“Yeah breaking ground on the SoDale project right?” Archie asked as he and Jughead cleaned up the area.

“Yeah. Indeed we are.” Fred hesitated. “Uh, sorry. I know it’s kind of a sore spot with you Jughead, about the drive-in.”

“As long as you build something beautiful in its place.” Jughead said. He sat on the bed and Archie sat beside him and slung his arm over his shoulders.

“I don’t know about beautiful, but uh, it’s gonna be big. Night guys.” Fred said and began to walk out.

Archie and Jughead gave their good nights, and Fred turned back around.

“Oh and uh, actually _sleep_ okay? Don’t get up to anything in the middle of the night.” he said with a smirk. Both boys blushed, though Archie’s was significantly deeper than Jughead’s, despite Jughead's paler skin tone.

“Dad!” Archie’s voice was hilariously high. He blushed even deeper as he hid his face behind Jughead. Jughead couldn’t seem to hold back a laugh, and Fred let out a big laugh.

“Don’t worry Fred, it’s me and _Archie_. I’m pretty sure that this’ll be the most PG relationship ever.” Jughead smirked and glanced at Archie. Archie’s face felt like it was on fire.

“Good _night_ dad.” he said with a huff. Fred gave one last chuckle and finally closed the door. Jughead chuckled and kissed Archie on the cheek. Archie cursed himself for not being able to hold back a smile.

“Come on.” Jughead said and they climbed into Archie’s bed. Archie was against the wall, and Jughead had his back to him. They did set up an air mattress, with some blankets, but that was just for show. If Archie were being honest though, he knows that his dad probably knows that fact. Come on, there was no way they were going to sleep in separate beds. Plus, they’ve done this like, a million times when they were kids.

Archie, despite that fact, was a little nervous. This was their first sleepover in months. Suddenly Jughead turned over and wrapped his arms around his waist.

“You, are thinking too much Andrews. Just relax.” he said gently. Archie smiled and kissed him. Jughead’s breathing lulled him into a peaceful sleep, with the thought that things will be okay.

***

“Polly’s convinced herself that no one wants her baby.” Betty sighed as she leaned into the couch in the student lounge. Around her sat the gang, plus Cheryl which was new, and Reggie. Apparently they’ve decided to ditch their more popular friends.

“Besides of course the child snatching Blossom monsters- um-” Kevin stammered and glanced at Cheryl, “Uh, no offense Cheryl.”

“None taken, they deserve that.”

“Oh. I mean, yeah.” Kevin wasn’t the only one surprised though. Cheryl being _nice_ was a whole new thing for Betty.

“So…” Reggie said getting his thoughts together, “the Blossom’s want the baby but not Polly, and your parents want Polly, but not the baby. Wow.”

“It’s a true Gordian Knot.” Jughead nodded.

Betty sighed. “It’s an impossible situation.”

“Betty, come on.” Veronica said, Betty looked at her with a frown. “An impossible situation is being invited to the _Vanity Flair_ Oscar Party, and Elton John’s Oscar Party _on the same night_. Which happened to me one time. Yes. I know.” she said while glancing at Kevin who was staring at her in awe. “This is merely an _annoying_ situation. But luckily, I’ve been percolating on an idea, hellishly simple in it’s conception.”

Betty, while she knew Veronica always had good intentions, knew it just _might_ not be the best plan at the moment. It might be a fast judgement on her part, but in the past few months her and Veronica have gotten closer and she’s learned a few things. A big one is that usually her ideas are great at the start, but end up being either a bad idea or a “meh” idea by the end of it. She needs to let Betty in on the planning sometime… That’s why they’re great friends.

“Alright, I’ll bite. What is it?” Betty asked. Maybe if it has to do with Polly, she’ll finally get in on the actual planning part of the idea.

“What if my mom and I were to host a baby shower?”

Huh.

“Ooh! Count me in!” Cheryl smiled. “And my Nana. Oh, and Jughead.”

“Wh- me?” Jughead asked as he sat up straighter. “Why me? Isn’t a baby shower meant to be _females_ only? Last time I checked I was a male.”

“Hm, while you _are_ in fact a male, and the man of the relationship-”

“What?” Archie blurted out.

“It’s JJ’s baby. Please Juggie?”

“And Jason would want me to be at a baby shower meant to be only women because…”

“Oh come on.”

“Actually, I think Polly would love to see you again Jughead.” Betty said, smiling. Really she only wanted to see him at a baby shower.

“I don’t have a choice do I?”

“No.” Cheryl said, shaking her head.

“Ugh, _fine_. I’ll go.” Cheryl and Betty quietly cheered as Jughead leaned against Archie and sighed. “Can Archie come?”

“No.”

“Ugh.”

Betty suddenly frowned as a thought came to mind. “Are we sure this is a good idea?”

“Betty, you want Polly to feel loved and supported.” Veronica said softly.

“Yeah but ideally by her own parents.”

“Okay, so baby steps girl, and yes. Pun intended. Get Polly and your parents in the same room in a public setting where they can’t fight, and viola. Let the healing begin. So. What do you say?”

On the one hand… it seemed like a good idea.

At first.

The whole “lock the people who are fighting in a room together with no escape” situation… never really ends well. At least according to TV and fiction. But then, fiction is never on point with real life for the most part anyway so… UGH. This was so frustrating. But maybe a baby shower would be a way to take everyone’s minds off of the frustrating parts and just have a good time celebrating the upcoming new birth. Betty opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, her mother entered the room. As usual, like she owned it.

“Elizabeth Cooper.”

“Mom?”

“I need you,” she said pointing at her, then she pointed at Veronica, “and you. Right now.”

They followed Alice out of the room with quick goodbyes to everyone. Betty swallowed. This didn’t sound good. Her mother was not in a good mood. She suddenly felt someone grab her hand and gently squeeze it. She looked over at Veronica who gave her a reassuring smile. Betty tried to give one back, but it probably didn’t look right.

The three of them walked into an empty classroom and Alice closed the door. Betty and Veronica sat down in a couple of desks.

“Sheriff Keller told us everything. How you’re hiding Polly at Pembrooke?” said Alice as she paced.

“Better than an insane asylum.” Betty replied. She bit back a sigh. Before Alice could respond Veronica spoke up.

“Actually, Mrs. Cooper, that’s on me. I was the one that suggested Polly stay with us.” Alice walked over to her.

“She’s trying to _help_.” Betty blurted out. “Unlike you and dad who want Polly to put her baby up for adoption.”

“Betty, it’s what’s best for Polly. And the baby.”

“Mom, that’s not your choice. Your choice is whether or not you want to be a part of Polly’s life.” Betty’s heart was beating with a bit of anxiety. How could her parents think that this was a good idea? Polly would be a great mom. Just because she’s young doesn’t make her a bad one. Plus that wasn’t even their decision to make! It’s Polly’s life, not theirs. They were here to _help_ their kids. Not force them into their little perfect vision of life. Betty took a deep breath to try and calm down. _Ready. Aim-_ “Veronica and her mom have offered to host a baby shower for Polly.”

There was approximately three agonizing seconds of complete silence before Alice spoke.

“Well that is hardly appropriate.”

Shot missed. Just like Betty figured. She sighed. “Really?” Betty stood up. “Because _I_ think it’s an amazing idea.” She glanced back at Veronica and smiled at her. She smiled back and Betty counted that as a win. “You wanna be loving, and supportive like a normal grandmother, then great. Otherwise, stay away.” Betty and Alice had a staring contest for a few seconds. Betty won as Alice then glanced at Veronica who was smiling widely. Alice gave a short nod. She left without saying a word. Betty smiled.

“That was pretty cool Betty.” Veronica said standing up and hugging her. “I must be rubbing off on you.” Betty chuckled.

“Maybe. I’ve decided that I live my own life instead of living it to please others. Polly kept telling me to do that as we were growing up, but I never had the guts to do it until now.” The bell rang and they started making their way to class.

“Well, I suggest we start planning the shower at Pop’s after school. Milkshakes will help provide us with energy.”

Betty smiled. Yeah. Maybe this _is_ a good idea after all.

***

That evening at Pop’s Archie and Jughead sat across from one another. Archie took the fact that Jughead is letting him steal _his_ fries and dip them in _his_ milkshake with no issues, for granted. If they were here just as friends- that would never happen. Jughead was normally not one to share food. Not even with his own sister Jellybean. So yeah. He was taking full advantage of this.

Sometimes Archie had to remind himself that he and Jughead _were_ in fact, dating. But Jughead did that most of the time on a regular basis. For a guy that- before anyway- didn’t like touchy things like hugs and hand holding, he quite often surprised Archie as he initiated those things himself. Archie smiled as he reached over for more fries.

He knew that the five ninth grade girls sitting in a booth in the corner were probably updating that damn Facebook page, but he couldn’t care less.

Archie glanced up at his boyfriend to see that he was paying more attention to the burger he was eating than him.

“You love that burger more than you love me don’t you?” Archie joked and dipped the fries into the milkshake.

“Possibly.”

“Jerk.”

“Come on Arch, you know you can’t make me choose between food and you. It's cruel.”

“I wasn’t, I was simply stating a fact.”

“In the form of a question?”

“Yeah.”

“Uh huh…”

“I know you love me though.”

“Sap. That is definitely what makes you the girl in this relationship.” Archie watched as Jughead finished his (second) burger and turned the plate so that the fries were closer to him. Probably meaning Archie couldn’t steal them anymore. (But he already had eaten like, half, so it didn’t really matter.) What surprised him though (again,) was that Jughead moved his milkshake so that it was sitting in between them.

“Okay. So what makes you the guy, because you know, I thought I was the guy.” Archie said, taking the straw from his own, now empty milkshake and sticking it in Jughead’s milkshake. He took a sip. It was somehow better than his despite them having ordered the exact same milkshakes. Maybe because it was _Jughead’s_.

“Of course you did. But according to _Veronica and the fans_ \- they would disagree.”

“You actually listen to her when she talks about that?” Archie asked in disbelief.

“Of course not. Just the beginning. When she said I was the guy since I initiated the relationship.”

Archie just rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. “Despite the fact that _you’re_ the one going to the baby shower? Not me?”

“Yes. Also it’s the guy that usually walks the girl home.”

“Fine, if it makes you feel better, you’re the guy.” Archie huffed and drank most of what was left of the milkshake. “Wait, how are you gonna get to Cheryl’s then? We’re not supposed to be out alone.”

“She’s picking me up at your place. So you don’t have to worry about me.”

“And who’s gonna be with her on the way over?”

“She has a body guard drive. Same one that drops us off at school. Huh… I still don’t know his name…”

“Huh. Oh, I said I’d get dad a pizza, hang on.” Archie said and went to order it.

A while later they arrived at Archie’s place. “So,” Archie said, “when exactly is Cheryl coming to pick you up?”

“I texted her as we were leaving Pop’s, so any minute.” But Jughead leaned in and kissed him. A moan escaped Archie as Jughead deepened the kiss. He loved these moments. Times when it was just them and they didn’t have to think about-

“Thanks for helping update the Facebook page guys!” Cheryl’s voice made Archie jump, and almost drop his dad’s pizza. Jughead groaned.

“Oh come on, not you too!”

“What? It’s adorable.”

Archie frowned in confusion and glanced at Jughead who had the same expression as he glanced back.

“The relationship idiots, not the Facebook page. Now I hate to break this up, but the Flash isn’t gonna watch itself.”

“The Flash? Seriously?” Archie asked. He didn’t expect Cheryl to be into superhero stuff.

“Hey Grant Gustin is hot. Seriously though, come on.”

“Ugh, fine. I’ll see you tomorrow Arch.” Jughead sighed and got into the black car. Archie smiled and finally entered the house. The smile disappeared though as he walked towards the kitchen and heard his dad talking to someone on the phone. It didn’t sound good.

“I did check.” Fred glanced over at Archie who put the pizza on the table. “I’ll get back to you Don.” His father hung up the phone and wrote something down on the note pad nearby. Archie wasn’t sure if it was his business to ask, but he just wanted to make sure his dad was okay.

“What was that about?”

“It’s all good.” That was an obvious lie. They both knew it. “Uh, how was your date with Jughead?”

“Uh it was good, got you a pizza.” Archie sat down at the table and swallowed. “Did something happen at work- or…” Ugh. He felt like he was being nosy or intrusive. But he just wanted his dad to be okay. Fred sighed as he grabbed a beer from the fridge and opened it up.

“Cliff Blossom made my crew an offer they couldn’t refuse, so they walked. Every last one of them.”

What? Just like that? How could they even think that that was okay? Archie held back his anger. He didn’t know the whole story yet. He can’t make any fast judgments or… mistakes. He swallowed.

“Screw them then. Anyone who’d rather work for Cliff Blossom than you is crazy, dad.” Archie watched as his dad gave half of a nod, like he wanted to agree, but couldn’t. Then he looked down. “Dad, what is it? You always make me talk to you about my problems.”

Archie had never seen his dad look so worried before. Not even when his parents divorced. When that happened, there was just anger mostly.

“It’s the business. It’s in trouble, Archie.” Fred sighed. “Has been for a long time. Big jobs are, few and far between. That’s why the SoDale thing is so important to me. And I can’t break ground without a crew, so everyday I’m just, hemorrhaging cash. I got equipment sitting there, supplies, bills that are past due-”

“Wait, dad- dad why- why didn’t you tell me about this?” Archie asked standing up as Fred sat down. “I had no idea.”

Fred sighed. “It was never supposed to get this bad. You work your ass off to build something, and one false step- you could lose everything and-”

“No, dad, you’re not losing anything. We’ll figure this out.” Archie knew they would find a way. They had to.

***

“Are you sure a baby shower is a good idea?” Polly asked. Betty nodded from her seat across from her. Currently, she was having dinner at the Lodge’s.

“Of course.” Betty smiled.

“It’s a great idea.” Veronica chimed in.

“What about mom and dad?”

“Well, what do you want honey?” Hermione asked. “Do you want them to come?”

“I do. I mean, mom at least.” Polly shrugged.

“In that case, we’ll get her there- somehow.” Veronica said, glancing at Betty.

Betty nodded. This was a delicate situation though. They had to plan it right, and make the right decisions. One false move, and they could lose everything they’ve worked for. Polly sighed.

“I do _not_ want to fight with her.”

“You won’t.” Betty reassured her. “The entire Cooper family will support you on this Polly.” There’s no way they couldn’t. Polly is a part of their family.

“I want the Blossoms there.” That was surprising. But Betty understood. It was Jason’s baby after all.

“Cheryl, sure. She’s on the guest list.” Veronica said.

“And Mrs. Blossom.” Now _that_ was surprising. Why would she want _her_ there? There’s no reason she shouldn’t be.

“She just tried to declare you an unfit mother.” Betty said. She was trying to understand, but without an explanation, it was pretty hard.

“Well, then this shower is the perfect opportunity for me to prove to her that I’m not.” Okay. Polly had good intentions there. But this was _Penelope Blossom_. Her mind was not so easily changed from Betty’s experiences. For now, all Betty can do is hope for the best.

“Uh, Ronnie?” Hermione said.

“Hmm?”

“A word?”

“Uh, sure.”

“Excuse us.”

The two of them left the room, leaving the Cooper girls to themselves. Betty hesitated. “Are you really okay with…” she couldn’t say it. The words wouldn’t come. Should she even ask? Was this a bad idea?

“Betty I’m okay with the baby shower.” Polly said with a smile.

“No, not… um… I meant… about Jason. About- him loving someone else?” Betty asked quietly. She just wanted to make sure Polly was okay. It probably wasn’t her business, but, well- they’re sisters. Sisters are there for each other. They make sure that the other is okay.

Polly looked down but smiled. “I was upset with him when I first found out. Of course I was. But I meant what I said when we were talking with Sheriff Keller. I forgave him when I realized how afraid he was. I understand why he felt like he couldn’t tell anyone. I would probably do the same thing if the roles were reversed. After that night, I told him that he could talk to me if things ever got too stressful for him. He needed the support.”

Betty smiled. That was her sister. She stayed with him even though he didn’t love her.

“That’s- _amazing_ Polly. Not too many people would have done that.”

Polly smiled. “I wish you could have seen him when he talked about Jughead. He’d always blush and he’d have this shy smile on his face. It was adorable.”

It was kind of hard for Betty to imagine _Jason Blossom_ shy. But when she thought about it- about the twins, it was mostly Cheryl that was the more talkative, fierier one of the two. That’s not to say that Jason was _shy_. He wasn’t. Mostly just quiet. Quieter than Cheryl anyway. But then… what about the book that the football team used to _keep score_? Did Jason do those things voluntarily, or did he think he _had_ to do it? Betty hadn’t told Polly about the book yet. About seeing Jason’s name next to hers. If Jason had really loved Jughead, and never Polly, what was all of that about then? Had someone on the team found out about Jason’s true feelings, and blackmailed him into doing it? Or did he think it’d be fun?

After hearing more about Jason and how he acted when it came to Jughead, she wasn’t sure which version of Jason was the real one. Or if it was a weird combination of the two.

“Betty what is it?” Polly asked. Oh. Her thought process must have shown on her face. Crap. Betty sighed.

“Polly… earlier this year, Veronica, Cheryl and I found out that the football team had this… game or something. They-”

“I know.”

“What?”

“Jason told me. About the book. That _my_ name was in it next to his. I know you might not believe this, but he never wanted to be a part of that. But he felt like he had no choice. Like everything. The book may have been why we were together in the first place, but it’s not how we became friends. We became friends by being honest with each other. He trusted me. I trusted him. Jason was in a constant uphill battle. He needed someone by his side to help him fight it. All he had was me and Cheryl. He wasn’t cruel. Not on the inside.”

Betty nodded. Guess that answered a few of her questions. So Jason wasn’t cruel or mean like people thought he was. He was just putting up an act. To hide. Betty finally understood just how scared Jason really was. She felt sorry for him. It made her grateful that her mother and father, while at times can be superficial, wasn’t Penelope and Clifford Blossom.

***

Archie sat in the passenger’s seat of Kevin’s truck and stared at the building up ahead as he parked it. He’d managed to gather up the guys, that being him, Kevin, Jughead, Reggie and Moose, and got them to come and help out his dad. They got out of the truck just as Fred and Hermione came outside to see what this was about.

“What is this?” Fred asked as the group grabbed a few things from the back of the truck.

“Your new crew.” Archie said smiling. “Reporting for duty.”

“I appreciate this, I do, but isn’t there something more important you need to be doing? Like, going to school, playing football?” Fred asked.

“We can work after practice and on weekends. Until you find a new crew to help keep things on schedule.” The two adults glanced at each other. “Come on dad, I worked for you the whole summer. And these guys-”

“We’re bruiser studs Mr. Andrews.” Moose piped up. “At least some of us are.”

Archie held his breath as Hermione whispered something to Fred. His dad needed this. It’s about time Archie had done something for him rather than the other way around. Now it seemed like Archie had been taking that for granted, even though he knew it wasn’t true. Fred groaned.

“Alright then. Let’s get to it.”

Archie gave a quiet sigh of relief. His dad could be pretty stubborn sometimes. They followed Fred and started the job.

Things seemed to be going well for them. The other guys caught on quickly. Even Kevin seemed to be enjoying the work.

He tried to keep his focus on the work though, but it was hard considering the fact that Jughead had unfairly decided to only wear a tank top after a while. Like did his boyfriend know what that was doing to Archie? Seriously, it was totally unfair. Not that Archie taking off his own shirt would do anything to Jughead anyway considering the fact that he’s asexual. But still. He had work to focus on. He looked away from Jughead and focused on pushing the wheelbarrow.

On the plus side, it seemed as though he wasn’t the only one in this situation. Archie kept noticing that every once in a while, both Moose _and_ Reggie would glance at Kevin. That was interesting. He knew that Kevin had _something_ going on with Moose, at least at the beginning of the year. He wasn’t sure if anything came of that though, or if it was something simple like hook-ups. Reggie was an interesting case though. Archie never thought that he’d go in that direction. But he was apparently bisexual, so, maybe he had a thing for Kevin? That would make so much sense actually. Reggie tended to- or at least before, he hasn’t done much since the attack- but before he usually bugged Kevin a lot.

“This is awesome.” Moose said. “Moving rocks beats working out in a crappy weight room.”

“Yeah,” Reggie laughed, “no wonder Archie got buff over the summer.”

Archie rolled his eyes. It wasn’t _that_ big a deal. So he gained a little bit more muscle.

“Hey Keller,” Moose called, “looking good. Looking buff.” Kevin glanced back, and Archie could _swear_ that the redness in his face wasn’t just from the work. But Kevin never did well with compliments. He was a pretty humble guy for someone in so many clubs and activities. So it could just be that awkwardness coming out. He never seems to know how to accept it and move on. “Should get you on the team.” Archie noticed that Reggie had gone quiet. His suspicions could be correct. See, he’s not oblivious.

“I prefer my contact sports, one on one. You know like, boxing?” Kevin replied. The group split up and Archie carried on with the wheelbarrow. Jughead caught up to him though. Man, he was just forgetting about- _that_. Ugh.

“You’re pretty handy with that wheelbarrow Arch. If the whole music thing doesn’t pan out, you’ll have manual labour as a fall back.” Archie resisted rolling his eyes.

“Don’t even joke. I did this all summer long remember? My dad loves this kind of work, and I love him. But…”

“No, I know. Your dad’s path is not for you. Trust me, I get it.”

“He works his ass off for me. Never asks for anything, always has my back. Even when I mess up.” And that’s quite a lot. Archie tends to be impulsive sometimes. He knows that. It’s led him into some bad situations.

“Hey, you know you’re not a total screw up. Everyone messes up.” Jughead said nudging him with his arm. His thoughts must have shown on his face.

“Yeah I know. But if having his back means hauling some rocks, then bring it on.”

“Agreed. Your dad’s got my back too. More than some people.” Jughead had a distant look on his face. Archie wanted to tell him that it’ll be alright, but he knew that wasn’t necessarily true.

“Hey, we’ll get through this. Both of us.” Archie said. Jughead smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

After work, the gang headed into the main building for a rest before heading back to town. “Hey guys, real lifesaver today, I really appreciate it. Hard hats and there’s sodas in the fridge.”

“Crap,” Kevin suddenly said, “I forgot my phone out there. I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll come with.” Reggie said quickly before Fred could tell him to take someone with him. The two boys left, and even though they weren’t going far, Archie could see the worry on his dad’s face.

“Hey, I’m sure they’ll be fine.” Archie whispered, but Fred didn’t seem convinced.

Even worse, Archie was proven wrong.

The rest of them left the moment they heard the sounds of fighting. But they were sure it wasn’t between Kevin and Reggie. When they got there, there were two guys with crowbars- and they were beating the crap out of Kevin and Reggie. Moose managed to get there first, and went after the guy that was hitting Kevin. Nobody could take down Moose. Especially when he was angry. Moose grabbed the guy’s crowbar and freaking _bent_ it. He even hit the guy a couple of times. Kevin was lying on the ground breathing heavily. Archie went after the guy beating Reggie, but just as he got there, the two guys ran off to their truck and drove away. When Archie looked at Reggie, he immediately knelt down beside him. Reggie was sitting rather than lying down, but he was having a panic attack.

Kevin was suddenly in front of Reggie- a giant bruise was forming on the left side of his face, ouch- and he tried to calm him down.

“Reggie, hey. Hey. You’re safe. You’re with us. They’re gone. You’re safe.” Kevin repeated himself until Reggie’s breathing slowed to a normal pace. He finally met Kevin’s eyes and nodded softly.

“Kevin who did this to you?” Fred asked.

“I don’t know,” Kevin replied, he kept his eyes on Reggie, “but they said that if we keep working they’ll keep coming back.” Archie swallowed. That was not good. Fred went back in the building to call Sheriff Keller. He arrived a few minutes later. Jughead had gotten a few ice packs for the bruises that were now fully there. Almost the whole left side of Kevin’s face was bruised deeply, and his left eye was closed slightly. There were a few bruises and marks on his neck too. Reggie also had a few bruises on his face, and more on his neck, and his lip was swelled a bit. They just looked like they were in a _lot_ of pain. They were all sitting outside when Sheriff Keller came. Once he got out of his car he instantly went over to Kevin and Reggie who were sitting beside each other.

“What the hell happened?” he asked as he examined the injuries.

“These two caught a couple of guys taking out the equipment with crowbars. They dropped bomb on them. Said that if we continue working they’ll keep coming back.” Fred explained. “I know for a _fact_ that Cliff Blossom wants to run this business to the ground and buy back the land. He can’t go after the buyer, so he’s going after me instead.” Sheriff Keller glanced at him and nodded.

“I’ll see what I can do, but without identification on these guys, I don’t know how far we’ll get. Did either of you two get a good look at them?” he asked.

Kevin shook his head. “No I got hit in the face almost right away and um, Reggie had a panic attack. Hey, can he stay with us for a while?” The sudden question seemed to surprise the Sheriff and Reggie. The ladder gave Kevin an odd glance.

“Of course, so long as it’s okay with his parents.”

“Yes.” Reggie suddenly said quickly. “Uh, yeah. It’s- it’s fine.” He cleared his throat and glanced down at the ground. Archie frowned.

Who was going after his dad? Was it actually Cliff Blossom? Or was it someone else?

“Wait, what if it was someone else? Like the Serpents?” Archie asked.

“Serpents?” Kevin asked.

“This is their land.” he shrugged. It was a long shot, Archie knows that they didn’t do anything when the drive-in was up. They mostly just hung out or did… drug related stuff… at least that’s what Jughead had told him. Nothing violent ever went down. But those were the only leads they had to go on. “I don’t know, just a suggestion.” he sighed.

“It is one thing to look at but as far I know, they haven’t done anything violent around here before. I’ll look into Cliff Blossom and try and get a lead on who the initial buyer is. When we have that we’ll hopefully be able to figure things out.” Sheriff Keller said with a nod. Fred nodded and sighed.

“I appreciate that, thanks. For now we should get these guys home.”

With that said, they gathered up their things and got into their vehicles. Archie and Jughead road with Fred, while Moose and Reggie drove Kevin’s truck while he road with his dad. Moose had called his mother to pick him up from the Keller’s place so he had a way to his own house. Archie, instead of getting in the passenger’s seat, got into the back and slid into the seat beside Jughead. He was thankful when his dad didn’t comment on it. Archie instinctively leaned in when Jughead wrapped his arm around him. He let himself relax into the touch. This had been a tiring week. He was just so glad that it was Friday. He’ll be sleeping in until _noon_ if he can. Hopefully they’ll get this whole thing figured out _soon_.

Someone was firing shots at them. They either needed to figure out who it was, or shoot back. Fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a little annoyed with this episode (and just the show in general,) for a few reasons. Five to be exact.  
> 1.) Archie is being kind really stupid. (Has been throughout the eight episodes so far, but whatever.)  
> 2.) I missed Reggie a bit in this one. He's being portrayed as an ass. :( (I get his actor was doing other shows at the same time, but come on. They could have at least made Reggie more likable like the comics.)  
> 3.) When did the gang find out about Kevin's thing with Joaquin? (Boyfriends apparently.) Like... wasn't that supposed to be a secret? "I won't tell if you won't?" KEVIN said that. Did stuff secretly happen during the hiatus? Did we miss stuff?  
> 4.) Was F.P. still working for Fred and remained the only one and gathered up the crew at the end, or did we miss the part where he quit at some point (during the hiatus? lol) and decided to come back because of what happened at the bar? Seriously. WTF.  
> 5.) Jughead has yet to eat ONE burger at Pop's. Or a burger in general. Preferable one from Pop's.  
> That's it.  
> Anyway... stay tuned for part two! :D


	9. Bang, Bang (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I realized that I've already used "Bang, Bang" as a title for CHAPTER ONE, lol. I had literally forgotten about that when I first posted chapter 8. But that particular line gets repeated often so... I'm going with that.  
> ANYWAY-  
> Part two! YAY!  
> And Betty's POV! Finally! YAY! lol

“Have you heard from mom? Is she coming?” Polly asked nervously. Betty didn’t know what to say. Saying yes, might be a lie, saying no would just be… _bad_. She swallowed and glanced at Veronica for help. She got the message and answered for her.

“She’s… invited.” Veronica nodded. Betty glanced down as Polly gave a short nod and a small frown. Maybe this shower really was a bad idea. She shook her head. No. It’s a great idea. Screw their mother if she’s not coming. Screw Penelope Blossom.

“Hey.” Betty said as she stood up. “If mom doesn’t wanna come, then that’s on her. It’s her loss.” Polly smiled and nodded.

“Betty, I’ve decided, I want you to be the baby’s godmother.” Betty stared at Polly with an open mouth for a few seconds. Godmother. Her- _Betty_. Holy crap. She didn’t know what to say.

“Really? Me?”

“Oh my _god_!” Veronica said happily behind her.

“If anything were to happen to me, the only person I trust to take care of my baby is you.” Polly said. Betty stared at her for a few seconds.

“Oh my god Pol!” The two sister hugged. Once they parted they began to plan out the baby shower. A few hours later- Veronica was apparently a _very_ detailed orientated person when it came to certain things. Things like baby showers. They had to be _perfect_. But they finally finished and met up with the gang at Pop’s for lunch.

“Oh my god, are you guys okay? What the hell happened?” Veronica asked once they saw Kevin and Reggie. They glanced at each other as the two girls slid into the booth. The two boys have gotten beaten up. No one hurt their friends and got away with it.

“A couple of guys started beating on the equipment when we had just finished working, we went to go get my phone, and then they decided to beat on us.” Kevin explained. “For the most part, we’re fine. Just bruised.” He glanced at Reggie who was staring down at the table. Betty frowned. It seemed like something else had happened but they weren’t saying it. Maybe it wasn’t her business. But if it was something big and serious, their friends should know right? She gave a worried glance towards Reggie who’d been quiet the whole time. It was then Betty realized how much he’d changed since the attack. Before, he was loud, arrogant, some might say narcissistic, and he would blurt out pretty much anything that came to mind. He was also a bit of a bully. Not so much physically, just verbally really, but he still used to insult people.

All of that had changed in about a couple of weeks. Now he was quiet, and he kept to himself.  He barely commented on anything. He was withdrawn. He didn’t even smile that much anymore. Sometimes he’d even space out for a few minutes. Betty was worried. It just… it wasn’t him. Or was the other version of him not him? Maybe this _was_ the real Reggie. Perhaps the one that everyone knew was just a cover or something. A shield. Like Jason. Betty swallowed. How many people hid behind shields, personas that weren’t who they really were? Betty reached over and placed a gentle hand on Reggie’s arm. He blinked and looked at her, surprised. She realized that he might have just spaced out again just after Kevin explained what happened. She gave a reassuring smile. Reggie’s mouth twitched upwards briefly before he looked back down.

“Okay so, how do we find out who those guys were?” Veronica asked.

“I have people that can help. If my parents can’t even find out who the buyer is, then they hopefully can.” Cheryl said, determined.

“That’s good,” Archie said as he walked up to them and sat down beside Jughead, “this has to stop. My dad will be out of work if this keeps up.” Jughead put an arm around him, and he immediately leaned in. Had they not been talking about a serious situation, Betty would have smiled. She’s happy for them. She had definitely got over her feelings for Archie. They were no longer there. Now she could move on to someone else.

“We’ll find them.” Betty said.

“I’ve got a b- uh, friend, I that knows some people. He can find out if the Serpents are related to this or not. Neither of us got a good look at the guys that jumped us, but we can at least find out if they were Snakes or not.” Kevin said. He glanced at Reggie again. Betty noticed the stutter when Kevin said friend. Hm… But then she also noticed the way he glanced at Reggie. And how close they were sitting. Since when did _those two_ sit that close? And since when did Kevin get a friend that knew a few Serpents? When did any of this happen? She and Kevin were definitely going to have a talk later. Definitely.

“Well let’s just hope that they aren’t involved. The Serpents are bad people. They’re drug dealers.” Betty said. Jughead looked up at her.

“Cheryl mentioned that you and her found weed in the car he stashed.” Betty nodded.

“But, wait. That means the deal never went down right?” Kevin asked. Cheryl nodded.

“Yeah. That could be why he…” she trailed off. Jughead squeezed her hand and she gave a sad smile.

“That wouldn’t explain the uh, torture,” Archie cleared his throat, “though. Would it? Unless some of the Serpents are into that?”

“I don’t know. My friend could find out, I’ll ask him.” Kevin said.

“Hey uh, you think he could find out who was posing as me at Pop’s?” Jughead asked. Kevin nodded.

Betty frowned remembering that one of her best friends is a possible suspect. She didn’t suspect Jughead could do _anything_ related to any of this though. He was too sweet, not to mention _smart_ for that. When he was bullied Jughead almost never fought back. Most would assume that it was because he was smaller than most boys his age at the time- he’s grown a _lot_ over the past few years- but that wasn’t it. He knew that if he fought back, they’d only hit harder and leave him even more injured. Plus, he believed that fighting never solved anything.

Veronica sighed beside her. “So many questions, not enough answers.” She frowned as Pop brought over a tray of milkshakes for everyone.

“On me today guys.” he said as they thanked him. Betty reached out and grabbed the vanilla one- Pop knew all of their favourites. She watched as Kevin grabbed the last one and put it in front of Reggie who had spaced out again. They really need to watch him more closely. He shouldn’t get trapped in his head. Reggie gave a half glance towards Kevin and gave a _very_ small smile. It was the closest thing Betty had seen to a smile since this started. Maybe Kevin could help him then. Truth be told, Betty had wondered why Reggie went after Kevin more than anyone else with his verbal bullying. Maybe he had a bit of a crush on him? It made sense. But if that’s true, then it could possibly be unrequited. Kevin had just mentioned that he had a _friend_. He stuttered when he said it too. Betty knows what Kevin is like when he has a crush. This _friend_ is someone that he’s very much attracted to, so… Why does it seem like he’s developing feelings for Reggie? Betty held back a sigh.

Just one more thing to worry about. She didn’t want to see either of them hurt. Reggie was already hurt enough, he didn’t need rejection. Maybe she should talk to Kevin sooner than planned. Before it got too far. Yeah. That’s a good plan. She’ll do it the next day as the girls- and Jughead- had a baby shower to attend.

At the shower, Betty, Veronica, Cheryl and even Jughead were there to help set it up. Jughead walked across the room carrying a tower tray of small snacks, and set it down on the table next to her and Cheryl.

“This is _so_ not my element.” he sighed. He stared at the snacks and frowned. The two girls smiled.

“Well we appreciate you being here Juggie.” Betty said and hugged him.

“I’m sure Jason would be happy.” Cheryl said, stealing a chocolate truffle and popping it in her mouth.

“Hey, I thought we weren’t supposed to eat anything until guests arrive.” Jughead said, crossing his arms. Cheryl glanced at the snacks and looked back at him.

“Oops?”

She and Betty giggled as Jughead rolled his eyes. A few minutes later, guests finally arrived. Polly greeted everyone with a smile, and some with a hug. Things seemed to be going well so far. Betty smiled. Polly soon got talking with Jughead, and they bonded quickly. Just as Polly began telling him about Jason, their mom stood in the doorway.

Betty held her breath.

She came. She _actually_ came. With a gift as well. She walked in and Betty walked up to them.

“Polly look, mom’s here.” Betty said happily. She was nervous though. While Penelope Blossom didn’t change her mind so easily, neither did Alice Cooper. Polly gave a nervous smile and didn’t look Alice directly in the eyes. Betty didn’t blame her. Jughead had moved to the side and stood beside Cheryl who kept glancing at Polly and Betty. Betty reached out and took the gift from her mother and put it on the coffee table with all of the others.

“Polly…” Alice said, “I’m so glad that you’re here, and you’re safe. You _and_ the baby.” She nodded and smiled. Betty finally let herself relax as Polly and Alice hugged. It was such a sweet moment!

Enter Penelope Blossom.

“I’m here! I’m _so_ sorry, I hope I’m not too late!” she said, quite loudly to be honest. She came into the room with Cheryl’s grandmother Rose. Cheryl and Jughead came and stood beside Polly.

“Mrs. Blossom.” Polly said, her smile tight.

“Mother.” Cheryl said, she didn’t smile at all. Guess that relationship is truly broken. Which- wow. That is _sad_. Betty suddenly felt sorry as a twinge of sadness came over her. Penelope merely nodded at her.

“Cheryl.”

“Mrs. Blossom.” Jughead said, his voice was neutral and showed no emotion. As did his face. Penelope looked at him, and Betty could just _feel_ the hate fuming off of her despite her fairly neutral expression.

“ _Jughead_.”

The room was deadly silent as the guests glanced at each other. Most people knew now what had gone down between them and Jughead Jones. They now knew that he was living with them, and the _royal couple_ hated it. Rose apparently approved of Jughead though so there was at least that. It wasn’t like it was him and Cheryl against the _entire_ Blossom family.

“I came to apologize Polly.” Wow. Complete shock there. Betty’s pretty sure it showed on her face, it did on Cheryl’s. Jughead’s expression was still neutral. Betty’s going to have to get him to teach her that sometime…

“When I first heard about the baby… my initial instinct to embrace the baby but not you was wrong.” Penelope reached out and took Polly’s hand. Alice made a move to stop her, but Betty held her back.

“Think _happy_ thoughts.” she said quietly to her.

“I hope you can forgive me.”

Well. Leave it to make a scene. But, at least she was here. Hopefully that meant things were going to look up for Polly.

A while later, the shower was still going pretty well, even with Penelope Blossom there. She hasn’t said a word to Alice yet though, so, Betty didn’t know what to think of that. At least they were being civil. Betty walked over to where Polly, Cheryl, Jughead and Rose were. Rose was holding up a beautiful crystal above Polly’s stomach. Oh boy… Betty smiled.

“This necklace reads the baby’s aura.” Rose explained. “Predicts the baby’s sex.”

“Nana has dementia…” Cheryl said quietly. “And Gypsy blood.”

Ah. That’s… huh. Betty didn’t know what to think of that either to be honest.

“Yeah…” Jughead sighed quietly, “she did a Tarot card reading on my future. Apparently I’m gonna have a threesome at the same time at some point, despite me being asexual.” Betty could only blink and stare at him. As did Cheryl. And Veronica.

“Yeah I didn’t really need to know that.” Veronica said.

“Me either.” Jughead muttered. “But I’m also apparently going to be pretty wealthy so… there’s that at least.” he shrugged.

“Oh!” Rose suddenly said, catching their attention.

“What?” Polly asked. “What is it? Is my baby okay?”

“Bab _ies_. It’s twins!” Rose exclaimed with joy. Polly smiled widely. Alice leaned in towards Betty.

“This is occultism at its most ludicrous.” she whispered. Betty just smiled as she looked at her. “But I’m, grateful to be here.”

It was finally time for the gifts. Polly smiled as she placed the most recent on next to the others.

“Okay, now mom.” Betty said and handed Polly the gift. Polly took out the tissue paper and placed the bag aside. She smiled widely as she took out-

“It’s my night-light. From when I was a little kid.” she chuckled, “Where did you- how did you even-”

“I saved it. I know how much you loved it, and how it made you feel safe. And I wanted you to pass it down to your baby one day.” Alice said. The evening was just full of surprises for Betty.

“Alice it’s lovely.” Hermione smiled.

Polly smiled a little bit tearfully at her mother and squeezed her hand.

“Open mine next dear.” Penelope said as she passed over her present. She opened to reveal a small rocking horse. It was beautiful. “That, is a family heirloom. Great-grandfather Blossom used to play with it. Isn’t it magnificent?” Polly smiled as she stared at it.

“Yes, it is. Thank you so much. I know how it must mean to you and your family.” She set it down carefully on the table.

“Oh dear, I’m passing it on to you because you are now a part of our family. And on that note, I would like you to come live at Thornhill.”

The room got quiet.

Betty’s eyes were probably the size of saucers. Cheryl and Jughead stared at Penelope in shock. “Mother…” Cheryl said as a warning.

“My invitation is genuine Cheryl. The child would want for nothing. _You_ would want for nothing.”

She _couldn’t_ be serious. She just couldn’t.

But she is. She is serious. She was asking Polly to _move into Thornhill_.

“Mother. You can’t just _ask_ something like that. Especially-” Penelope interrupted Cheryl.

“Cheryl don’t you think it’s rude to answer for Polly when it’s her decision?”

“Do you think you can just waltz in here with a bedbug infested Trojan horse, wave a blank check around and _steal_ my daughter?” Alice asked. Uh oh. Shots were being fired. This had to stop before it got worse.

“I didn’t think you wanted her. Else why would she be exiled like some pariah?” Penelope asked.

“To keep her away from _you_.” Alice said, she stood up.

_Stopstopstopstopstopstopstop!_ Rang through Betty’s mind. The whole point of this was for them to see eye to eye. But obviously that wasn’t going to happen.

“Oh.” Penelope now stood up as well. SHITSHITSHIT. And Betty didn’t swear that often! “And not because you’re ashamed. Why is your own _daughter_ not living with you?”

“She’s not gonna step foot in that twisted, poisonous house of yours.”

“She’d do a lot better there then with you. I mean, take a look at Jughead for example. He’s doing swell.” Jughead’s eyes widened at the mention of him, and Penelope turned to look at him. “You’re happy living there aren’t you?”

“Mother!” Cheryl saved him from answering.

“How _dare you_!” Alice hissed.

“Enough.” Polly said loudly. “Both of you.”

“If you believe _one word_ this _woman_ says-”

“THIS IS WHY JASON IS DEAD.” That shut them both up. “Because of this hate! This stupid, pointless fighting.”

“Honey, honey-” Polly jerked away from Alice as she reached out.

“No! Don’t touch me! Jason couldn’t take the pressure of being the _perfect son_. The pressure _you_ put on him. That wasn’t him! And it’s not me either. Neither of you allowed us to live the lives _we_ wanted. You know, I almost don’t care about finding the person that killed him. Because _you_ are the smoking gun.” Polly left the room and went into the guest room. Cheryl walked over and stood in front of the two mothers.

“Jason is dead because of you guys fighting and caring more about your reputation than us. Why can’t you see that yet?” She and Jughead headed towards Polly to comfort her. Betty left for her as well, but not before giving her mother a short glare. Alice looked as though she’d been slapped. Good. Penelope’s face was neutral though. But at that point, Betty didn’t care about her. Not one bit.

The three of them, soon joined by Veronica sat on the bed- with Betty and Cheryl on either side of her, and Jughead and Veronica in front of her. Polly had cried for a good hour before the tears finally let up.

“Hey.” she said quietly and sat up straighter. She’d been leaning on Betty and crying into her shoulder. “Um, I just wanted to thank you guys. You’ve all been so great. And I have an announcement. I was going to do it during the shower, but, well… Anyway, I have decided that I want Jughead to be the godfather.” Polly smiled as she took Jughead’s hand in hers and squeezed it.

“Oh my gosh!” Veronica squealed and pulled Jughead in for a tight hug. The other girls giggled.

“I…” Jughead stammered, “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything Juggie. Jason told me that that is what he wanted if you couldn’t be together. For you to still be a part of this. To be the godfather.”

Jughead swallowed and Betty smiled at his awkwardness.

A few minutes later, they came out of the room. Polly headed over to where the gifts were and sat in one of the chairs, and the other teenagers began to help clean up. After a while, the others left leaving just the Cooper girls, Cheryl, Nana Rose, and Jughead. Cheryl and Jughead were in another room taking care of a few things, and Rose was sitting beside Polly. Alice was cleaning up the food table when Betty approached her.

“Mom,” she said, and Alice looked at her, “talk to her.”

Alice looked like she was sighing on the inside, but slowly walked over to her other daughter. “Polly, I’m sorry. It’s just that woman-”

“Didn’t send me away.” Polly said and looked up at her. “You did. And if you hadn’t, I would have met up with Jason, and he might still be alive.” Her voice cracked, but no tears came. Out of the corner of her eye, Betty saw Rose wheel herself a little ways away, giving them space.

“Or you might have gotten hurt. Or worse.” Alice sat down, and Polly looked away from her.

“I was _alone_ there, in that _place._ ”

“I never wanted you to feel alone, or unwanted. Or unloved. Honey,” Alice leaned over and took Polly’s hand in hers, “come home. I promise you’ll never feel that way again.”

Polly swallowed back a few tears. “You want me to come home?”

“More than anything honey.”

“Yeah but what about dad?” Polly wiped away the tears as they came down.

“Your father-”

“Dad’s just gonna have to get over it.” Betty said as she walked over.

“Are you sure he’s not gonna try and make another appointment for me?” Polly asked. What? What appointment? Betty saw her mother pale slightly. What hell was this now?

“What are you talking about? What appointment?” Alice asked.

“Before you sent me away dad made an appointment for me to see a doctor. Said that he’d be more than happy to pay for it. That I shouldn’t have to live with my _mistake_.”

“Oh my god.” Betty breathed.

“He didn’t even ask me what I wanted.”

Betty couldn’t breathe properly. Her own father was going to get her sister to get an _abortion_. He was gonna _kill_ her baby. He _is_ a killer if he’s willing to do that.

“I _swear_ I won’t let that happen Polly.” Betty had never seen her mother more determined. “I _promise_.”

_Knock, knock, knock_.

Betty shook her head to clear it of those thoughts. “Uh, I’ll get it.” She stood up and went over to the door. “Archie?”

Archie stood there looking a little nervous. He was holding his phone, which probably meant that he was trying to contact one of them. More specifically Jughead probably.

“Uh, hi. Is uh, is Jughead here?” he stuttered. Betty frowned. This didn’t seem good.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah. Here, come on.” Betty took his hand and led him towards the kitchen where Jughead was with Cheryl. The two were just cleaning up some dishes at the sink. Archie cleared his throat, and they turned around.

“Archie?” Cheryl said. But Archie only looked at Jughead.

“Arch, what’s up? What’s wrong?” Jughead asked.

“Your dad’s a Serpent?”

Betty’s eyes widened and she let out a short small gasp. Jughead made no move to deny it though. He swallowed. The room was tense. Betty noticed that Cheryl didn’t seem as surprised as she was. Did that mean that she already knew?

“How-”

“Kevin. Well, more specifically, Kevin’s _friend_. And even _more_ specifically, your dad himself.” Archie said.

“What? Archie what the hell happened?” Jughead asked. He put the plate he was holding down and dried his hands. Cheryl did the same. Dishes could wait, because _what the hell_?

Archie sighed. “Kevin’s friend found some stuff out. The guys that beat up Reggie and Kevin weren’t from here. The buyer paid them to do that. He also found out that a Serpent knew who they were. Some old friends or something. So me, Reggie and Kevin went to meet up with his friend so he could tell us. And guess who was there in the middle of the group smoking with the rest of them?”

Betty swallowed nervously as Jughead squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed.

“Did you guys know?” Archie asked the girls. Betty shook her head while Cheryl stayed quiet. She swallowed.

“He told me.” she whispered. Betty had never seen Cheryl look so… insecure and unsure.

“You told Cheryl?”

“First night I stayed at Thornhill. Archie-”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Betty felt like she shouldn’t be here for this. She could see that Cheryl felt the same way. They made eye contact and Betty gave a short nod towards the door. Cheryl nodded. They slowly started to move away from the boys who were only looking at each other.

“I was ashamed, Archie. I…” Jughead’s voice was shaky. “We had _just_ become friends again Archie. Our relationship was so fragile I… I didn’t want to break it. I didn’t wanna lose you.”

Betty realized that both she and Cheryl had stopped walking. Neither of them turned around though. Betty glanced at Cheryl, only to see her cheeks wet. She was crying. But then again, it had been a stressful evening for her too. Betty wrapped an arm around her and brought her in for a hug. She wondered how long Cheryl had been holding back.

She suddenly felt a little bit guilty. She’d only been thinking about _her_ family. She hadn’t thought of what it was doing to Cheryl. If anything she was in the exact same position as Betty. They were more alike than she ever realized. God she felt so selfish. She’ll have to make it up to her at some point. Cheryl had been so generous towards her and her friends, especially Jughead. Betty had been too wrapped up in her own problems to notice others.

“Hey,” she heard Archie whisper, “you’re not gonna lose me. Never.” Betty glanced over to see Archie lean in and kiss Jughead. The boys pulled away and hugged tightly, like they were never going to let go. The four of them stayed that way for… God knows how long. Betty’s amazed that her mother or Rose hasn’t come looking for them. Finally they pulled away. Cheryl gave Betty a smile of thanks, which she returned.

“Hey we’re gonna get through this Juggie. We will. Together.” Archie said. Jughead nodded and kissed him.

“Well I for one, have had enough emotions for one night.” Cheryl said taking a deep breath and letting it out. The other three chuckled. It had been one hell of a rollercoaster that’s for sure.

“Yeah I don’t think any of us was expecting… _this_.” Jughead commented with a smile.

“Yeah definitely not.” Archie said, wrapping an arm around Jughead’s shoulders.

“Well, a few good things came out of tonight.” Betty said.

“Yeah? Like what?”

“One of them being Polly naming Jughead the godfather of her baby!” Cheryl smiled widely and Betty smiled with her as Jughead lightly blushed at the attention.

“What? Oh my gosh! Juggie that’s amazing!” Archie said and he hugged his boyfriend again.

“It’s not a _huge_ deal, I mean, Betty’s the god _mother_.” Jughead shrugged.

“Actually, Cheryl and I are _both_ godmothers.” Betty said. “We talked about it and that’s what we agreed on.”

“Wow that’s so great! I’m happy for you guys!” Archie said, the three of them hugged briefly.

“Come on, I’m sure my mom and Rose are wondering what we’re doing by now.” Betty said. The four of them walked into the living room. Alice was tidying up the gifts and cleaning up the bags and gift wrap. Rose was looking at a school picture of Jason that was put up for the shower in memory of him. Betty couldn’t help but notice that he wasn’t wearing his signature Vixen jacket.

It was just… strange. She doesn’t think she’s ever seen him without it. In that picture, he didn’t seem like the popular guy everyone knew. In that picture he just… seemed like Jason. Just an ordinary teenager scared of typical things just like everyone else. Betty can’t even _begin_ to imagine what Jason had been feeling the whole time. To feel scared, _all_ of the time. She doesn’t even feel any anger towards him anymore. She _can’t_. She doesn’t have it in her, just like Polly. And what he did for Jughead was just so… sweet. She’d always thought of him as… well… a jerk. But she didn’t even _know_ him. Polly was the one that knew him. When they were “dating” he rarely came around their house, even when their parents were away. Betty figured it was the same with Polly and Jason’s parents. She never forgave Jason for what she believed he did to Polly.

Well, now she did. Now, she’s seen a whole other side to him. She’s seen him for who he really is. She’s decided.

Betty has to try and make up to the Blossom twins.

She had them all wrong, and now she knew that. It was time that Riverdale knew that as well.

The next morning Betty went back to Pembrooke to see Polly. She had news. Great news! She almost picked up the phone last night and called her, but she remembered that- well… it was night. Everyone would have been asleep. Plus Polly needed her rest after _that_ evening.

“I just… I can’t believe it.” Polly said once Betty explained everything. “I can’t believe mom kicked dad out.” Betty nodded.

“She meant it. Every word. She wants you _and_ the baby to come home Polly. Or bab _ies_.” She smiled and Polly joined her.

“Betty… I’ve decided.”

***

The taxi parked and Polly carefully got out with her suit case filled with everything she had- aside from the baby shower gifts. Those had been pre-delivered.

She watched as the gates to Thornhill opened up slowly.

She took a deep breath and let it out. She began walking.

At the doorway, she saw the Blossoms with their daughter and Jughead. She wasn’t sure what to make of her friend’s expressions. But Mr. and Mrs. Blossom were smiling. Polly smiled as she walked up to them.

“Polly, we’re so glad you’re here. You’ll be safe with us.” said Penelope.

“I’m here for the baby.” Polly said, glancing at Cheryl for a second.

“Of course dear. You’ll _both_ be safe here.” Polly nodded as Cliff took her suitcase from her. The parents began to walk inside, and Jughead and Cheryl fell in step with Polly.

“We _promise_ , we won’t let anything happen to either of you.” Jughead whispered.

“You’re not safe with them, but you’re safe with us.” Cheryl whispered, sticking close to her. She nodded and glanced up at the parents.

“I know. I trust you. Not them.”

***

Betty entered her house and swallowed back tears. She walked to where she knew her mother was sitting. Betty swallowed again. Her eyes stung. She blinked a few times and sniffed.

“I’m sorry mom.” she croaked out. “I tried.”

Alice looked at her and nodded in understanding. Betty sat down beside her and brought her mother in for a hug.

Alice let out sobs as new tears came.

That’s it. They lost her. Polly was gone.

_Again_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah if I had put both parts as one chapter it would have been like, TWENTY pages long... so two parts! :D  
> I was going to add in Betty's phone call to Kevin asking what his deal is with Reggie and his "friend", but then I was like- nah. In the end it just didn't fit anyway. Hopefully I can fit it in the next chapter.  
> I can't wait for the next episode!  
> :D  
> Keep reading!


	10. Music Played and People Sang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: TRIGGERS- READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!  
> Minor Warning: THE FEELS. GUYS. THE FEEEEEEEEELS!
> 
> Anyway-  
> Guys get ready.  
> There's THREE POV'S in this one!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's Wednesday.  
> Shhhhhh.....  
> Lol I don't really have an excuse other than I got a new computer. I totally could have written it all out Saturday. I did go away for the weekend, but I was just at the hotel all day Saturday. Meh whatever, I'm posting now. Technically I wrote it all out yesterday, but then it was late and I was tired lol.
> 
> And, Ho-ly SHIT. This episode guys. Some people have some anger issues huh? (Cough- Alice, Cheryl- cough)  
> But Cheryl totally brought it this episode. lol I loved her! I mean, I was annoyed by here lol, but I still loved her. Similar to how I feel about Archie at the moment actually.  
> Now enough of my rants.

Thicker than blood, more precious than oil…

Riverdale’s big business is maple syrup. Since the town’s founding, one family has controlled the lucrative syrup trade, the Blossoms. They were a part of the fabric of their daily lives. Rich or poor, old or young, they consumed Blossom’s syrup by the bucket. That sickly sweet smell was inescapable.

The death of Jason Blossom precipitated a crisis. With the heir apparent gone, who would inherit the family business one day?

Certainly, not Cheryl. Apparently.

It was a question that brought the wolves to Riverdale. And now, the Blossoms were circling the wagons against possible attacks from within their own ranks.

 

Cheryl stood out in the cold with her parents, brother, and new sister. While they stood _with_ them, she was a little ways away, with Polly and Jughead on either side of her. This was it. The start of the season.

***

Veronica sat at the kitchen table with her mother, coffee in one cup, tea in the other. “Lawyers are coming over this week, to take our statements for your dad’s hearing. We’re both gonna have to testify on your father’s behalf.” Hermione said. She sighed and set her cup down.

“What if they ask about what he did?” Veronica asked. “Embezzling all of that money? Am I gonna have to _lie_?”

She was _trying_ to be a better person here. Lying about _anything_ would not help that. Yes, sure, when she came to Riverdale she still made some mistakes. She’s _learning_. She learned from those mistakes. There are better ways of doing things. Better ways of solving problems than creating new ones to make yours seem like less. She knows that now. She just hoped that her mother did too.

“Well, uh… we _might_ , have to shade the truth a bit, Ronnie.”

So tell them the truth, but not the _whole_ truth. Veronica held back a sigh. She looked at her mother who did though. “Mom?” she questioned.

Hermione sighed again. It seemed like she sighed every few seconds to be honest. “Baby, I have just made a _mess_ of things. Your father found out about Fred and me. Someone went to him before I got a chance to say anything-”

“Oh my god.” Veronica interrupted. “Dad knows?”

“Yes, and on top of that, the Blossoms are still after the drive-in land, and Fred still doesn’t know that we own it.” One more sigh. But these were definitely problems to sigh about.

“Maybe it’s time you tell Mr. Andrews the truth.”

“And risk having him walk off the project? We bet _everything_ we have on the SoDale construction.”

“Mom, this is a small, _gossipy_ town. You need to tell Fred about the land, before _someone_ _else_ does.”

If Hermione Lodge hadn’t learned from her mistakes, maybe Veronica can try to teach her. Hopefully.

***

The next morning before school, Cheryl walked into the kitchen where Jughead and Polly were having breakfast. She joined them and grabbed a plate full of food. They talked for a while before Cheryl remembered why she went looking for them in the first place.

“Oh, right, I almost forgot. This week, is the official start of maple syrup season! Every year we host a tree tapping ceremony. It’s been a Blossom tradition since the beginning. I would like you two to be there. It’s _very_ exclusive, family and inner circle only.”

“Of course!” Polly said.

“Yeah we’ll be there.” Jughead smiled.

“Oh I don’t know if that’s a good idea dear.” Penelope said as she entered the room. The three teens frowned at her.

“What? Why?” Cheryl demanded. “Polly is a part of our family now. So is Jughead.” He glanced at her and smiled, and she gave one back in return.

“Polly may be a part of our family yes, but Jughead is only living with us Cheryl. He is most certainly _not_ a Blossom. The ceremony is for _Blossom’s_ only. Polly is an honorary member Because of Jason’s baby.”

“Jughead is my brother!” Cheryl shouted, causing both Jughead and Polly to jump a little. “He helped me when no one else did. He’s just as much of a brother to me as Jason was. I thought you understood that but clearly not.” She stood up and stared at Penelope straight in the eyes. “Part of the agreement we made with Sheriff Keller was to treat him like _family_. But he isn’t only _like_ family now, he _is_ family. At least to me.”

“And me.” Polly smiled gently squeezing Jughead’s hand. He didn’t say anything but he smiled.

“I’m sure Nana Rose would agree with us. I know it.” Cheryl said.

“And that I do.” Rose wheeled herself into the room. Penelope turned around, and while Cheryl couldn’t see her face, she knew she was glaring at her mother. “I’m old but I’m still around for a reason. It looks like my job as a mother isn’t quite finished yet. I may have dementia but I still know a thing or two about being a mother. Jughead will come to the ceremony. He can help Cheryl with the tree tapping.” Rose smiled and Penelope only frowned. She huffed and walked out of the room.

“Thanks Nana.” Cheryl said. She walked up to her and hugged her. At least Rose had some common sense unlike her parents. Guess it skipped a generation.

***

Kevin stared up at the front as Betty read out the poem she’d created for the assignment. They had to write one that was connected to what they were reading, and had to connect it to a certain memory or feeling. He usually didn’t mind being up in front of people, but the gigantic bruise that trailed from the top of his head to his chin on the left side of his face made him self-conscious. He always felt like people were staring at it. He almost asked if he could skip reading it out loud and just hand his poem in, but he backed out. He went to the front of the class a few days after he came out for an assignment. Yes they stared at him oddly, and it made him uncomfortable, but he still did it. He figured that _this_ \- a _bruise_ couldn’t possibly be as bad as that.

But he was wrong. It was. People stared. They winced and gave him _pity_. He hated pity. Either that or they gave a look of disgust. Not really aimed at him of course, but at the bruise. It still made him uncomfortable though. It didn’t take long before it was over though, thank gosh.

Betty suddenly finished, and Kevin realized he hadn’t listened to a word she’d said. Oops.

Next was Reggie’s turn.

Kevin swallowed. He was worried about him. Reggie had been living with him and his dad for the past week or so, and Kevin had noticed quite a few things. One, was that they didn’t talk about how long he’d be staying with them. His dad would never bring it up. Granted Kevin never did either, but that was because he didn’t want it to seem like Reggie wasn’t welcome. Two, Reggie never talked about life at his house. He’d mentioned that his parents were watching him like a hawk, but that’s it. He never talked about them, or any other family member. Whenever Kevin asked, he’d always give a simple answer and changed the subject. Three- Reggie had nightmares. He always shrugged it off like it was nothing, when Kevin tried to talk to him about it. He was just thankful that he hadn’t seen Reggie have a panic attack since _that day_.

Reggie walked up to the front. To everyone else he probably seemed normal. The same old Reggie. But Kevin saw more. He saw how Reggie was tense. He saw the insecurity hidden deep below the surface. He saw all of that, because that’s how Kevin felt. Still feels. He just wished that he could find a way to get Reggie to talk to him.

***

Veronica watched Kevin smile at Reggie as he sat down. She’d been wondering what was up with them. She noticed that they’ve become closer ever since Reggie had joined their little group. She was also worried about Reggie. He’d become closed off and quiet. The only times he’d talk was when he was with Kevin. She hoped that Kevin would be able to help him get back to his old self. While Reggie’s boisterous was sometimes annoying, she kind of missed it. It seemed too quiet without it. She turned her attention to the front where it was Ethel Muggs’ turn. She’d only met the girl when they were getting back at Chuck, but she seemed like a nice girl. She was so brave for standing up for the girls.

“They put me in a wooden box, as I desperately opposed.” Ethel’s voice was a little shaky, but strong. “But all my screaming was for naught, my mouth had been sewn closed. Curled up in bed was just a girl, needing daddy’s arm to hold her.”

Well… that was… worrying. Veronica flashed back to a time in her past that she’s not proud of. During lunch, she made her way over to the student lounge where Ethel was. Coincidentally, Kevin and Reggie weren’t that far away. She needed to chat with Kevin at some point as well.

“Hey Ethel.” Veronica said as she sat down beside her. Ethel smiled and placed her journal down.

“Hey.”

“I just wanted to tell you how moved I was by your poem. It felt like you were tapping into something pretty dark, but also pretty real. And I don’t wanna overstep, but… is everything, alright, Ethel?”

Ethel tapped her pencil against the journal and didn’t answer right away. “Things at home aren’t… great. My mom and dad are fighting, but, they won’t tell me about what.” Veronica frowned. “It’s like there’s this, really bad thing that’s happening, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

“Like you’re in a slow-motion car crash. I get it.” Veronica said. “I know the feeling. Listen, Ethel. It sounds like you need some cheering up. Which happens to be a Veronica Lodge specialty. So, if you’re free tomorrow, come over for lunch. We can hang out, do whatever, and in the evening, I know this great club-”

“A club? Veronica, we’re underage. And we’d be _two girls_ alone in a club.”

“I have my ways. And we won’t be alone. Josie will be there, and Reggie and Kevin too. It’ll be a group outing!” The two boys looked up once they heard their names. They looked at each other confused, but went along with it. They needed some cheering up too, and damn it, Veronica Lodge would make sure that happened.

“The afternoon sounds like fun, but I don’t know about the club part, it’s not really my thing.”

“It’ll be fun! We’ll all get dress up, feel great, and have a good time for once! We’ve all been needing a break from life lately. And don’t worry about your parents finding out about the club. My mom is totally cool with us going so long as we’re safe, responsible, and don’t drink too much. She can cover for us if someone calls to check in. Smithers would even be driving us there and back. Think it over. Let me know tomorrow morning okay?” Ethel gave a small smile and nodded.

“Thanks Veronica.”

“No prob.”

***

As they headed to their separate classes, Kevin caught up to Veronica in the hallway. “So, what was that about? I mean, yeah we all need a break but…”

“Ethel’s poem was a cry for help if I ever heard one. The likes of which, I vowed never to ignore. Not after…” Veronica stopped and got a distant look in her eyes.

“Uh oh.” Kevin said. “Do we need to sit down?”

“Okay so last year, at Spence, my best friend Katy and I… kind of terrorized this girl, Paige.” Kind of. Yeah. Sure. And Kevin _kind of_ gets bullied daily by the dumb jocks that don’t know any better. (He was surprised at first when Chuck hadn’t bullied him for being gay, but then he understood why when he learned.) “One time we made her drink… gutter water.” she whispered.

“Ew! Gross,” Kevin said quietly, “why?”

“Because,” Veronica sighed, “she was _there_. Because she was a misfit, and we were class-A brutal bitches. Anyway, by December, Paige couldn’t take it anymore.” Holy crap. Kevin’s eyes- _eye_ , widened with shock. She- _no_!

“Oh, my god. Did you drive her to suicide?” he whispered. Veronica’s eyes widened.

“What? No. But she did transfer schools, and went into therapy.”

“So, now?”

“If I can make Ethel Muggs’ life a _little_ better, even for one afternoon, I’m _going_ to do it.” Kevin nodded. He totally understood that. And, they _really_ needed a distraction from all of this… _craziness_ that is their lives.

“Yeah. I get it. We’ll come.”

“On, another note, how are you and Reggie doing? I mean, looks like it still hurts.” Kevin frowned and glanced down. It did. Like a bitch sometimes. “I just… I couldn’t help but notice that you two seemed pretty uncomfortable up in front of the class.” Damn it, he thought he hid it well. No one had seemed to notice. Guess he was wrong.

“Yeah.” he mumbled. “He hasn’t said anything, but I know we both feel the same way.”

Veronica nodded. “Like people are only seeing you as this, fragile thing. Like they feel as though they have to tread lightly and watch what they say.”

“Or they want me to cover it up so that it won’t gross them out.” Crap. He didn’t even mean to say that. It just came out! Shit-

“ _What_? Kevin, who the hell said that!”

“It’s not-”

“Don’t, Kevin. It _is_ important, and it _is_ big deal.” She clearly wasn’t going to let it go until she knows who said it.

“I don’t even know who it was. I was just walking, and heard it as I passed some people.” Kevin sighed. He crossed his arms over his chest.

“But they shouldn’t feel like they have a right to say that Kevin. Your injuries could have been way worse than just bruises and cuts. There’s no _way_ I’m going to let them get away with that. I _will_ find out who they were.”

“My hero, come on, we’re late for class.” And they went their separate ways.

***

Cheryl walked down the hallway during her spare. She was headed towards the lounge. She knew Archie usually worked on his music in there during his spare. Archie deserved to be at the tapping ceremony. He helped her when no one else did. Thanks to him she wasn’t the girl who cried gun shot. She felt like he deserved more than just a music tutor.

“Hey, Archie.” she said as she sat down beside him.

“Oh hey. What’s up?”

“This time of year, is the start of the maple syrup season. My family holds a tree tapping ceremony to celebrate it. It is exclusive. Family and close friends only. Polly and Jughead are going, and I want you to be there too.”

“Wow. I don’t know what to say Cheryl. Thanks.”

“Oh it’s no problem.”

“Any dress code?”

“Clothes a little nicer than casual, and something in red. But don’t worry, I have something for you. The ceremony is on Saturday, so you can come over in the morning and we can get ready.”

“Cool, I’ll be there.”

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, have they found the person that uploaded that recording of your phone call?” Cheryl asked with a frown. Archie sighed.

“No. They haven’t. They still don’t have any leads.”

“What about the person you were talking to?” Cheryl noticed how Archie tensed at that, but didn’t comment. Whatever went down between them wasn’t her business. “It kind of sounded like you were rejecting them. Maybe they hold grudges or something?”

“I don’t know.” Archie said, looking down. “Maybe. I didn’t exactly know them as well as I thought. It’s not like I can ask them directly though.”

“Yeah I guess. They’d probably deny it if you did. Maybe get a hold of their phone, or whatever computer they use.”

“Steal from them? Cheryl-”

“Just hear me out. Jughead’s really great with technology, right?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Does he know who you were talking to?”

“Yeah…”

“So maybe he can figure out if they uploaded that video.”

Archie didn’t say anything for a while. It made Cheryl wonder about the other person involved in that phone call. Who were they? Archie still seemed to care about them on some level. Were they in a relationship at some point? She sighed inwardly. It wasn’t her place to ask. Especially if he didn’t want to say who it was.

“I guess that’s a good idea, but stealing is against the law. On top of that, how would I even be able to get their equipment?”

“The three of us could come up with some kind of plan. We could do it while we’re getting for the ceremony. I know you might not want me to know who the other person is, that’s fine. You don’t have to tell me. But I’d like to help if I can. Whoever uploaded that recording, that was wrong. They should be punished Archie. Maybe one of your phones was bugged or something. Or maybe the other person didn’t like getting rejected and wanted revenge. Just… think about it, okay? I’ll see you on Saturday.” Cheryl finished just as the bell rang. They gathered up their stuff and headed to class.

***

The next day during lunch, Veronica smiled as Cheryl, Jughead and Betty walked into the room and sat down with them. “Just in time!” she said happily. “We’re celebrating.”

“Archie was just telling us how he’s going to some super-exclusive music program this summer.” Kevin said.

“Maybe. If it happens though, it’d be huge for me.” Archie said.

“Cool, do you have to audition for it?” Jughead asked.

“Well, not exactly. Mrs. Blossom came by earlier and said that she’d put a good word in for me.”

“Terrifying.” Veronica said just as Kevin said amazing. They shared a look of confusion before moving on.

Everyone noticed the way Cheryl and Jughead glanced at each other. “She did?” Cheryl asked. “When?”

“Uh, just after gym, before third.”

“Uh huh. So, what’s in it for her?” Jughead asked. Veronica frowned. This can’t be good. If anyone knew Mrs. Blossom, it was Cheryl and Jughead. Something wasn’t right here. It was Penelope Blossom after all. She always had a plan that would benefit herself.

“I don’t know, she never said anything about that. She only wanted me to come to the ceremony since Cheryl asked.” Archie said with a shrug.

“Are you sure you should accept anything from _Penelope Blossom_? Or Cliff?” Veronica asked.

“She’s not wrong.” Cheryl said before Archie could say anything. “My parents can screw over anyone they want. This could be a plot to get at the drive-in land.”

“Yeah I don’t know if you wanna accept that man. Things too good to be true, almost always are.” Jughead said. Archie frowned.

“Yeah. I would rather earn my spot in the music world than do it the easy way. But I have to make connections outside of Riverdale. And if I do accept Mrs. Blossom’s offer, and me or my dad gets screwed in the end, it’ll be on me. There has to be another way to make connections.” he sighed.

“That’s the way of the world. It’s all about connections. Ooh, maybe Cheryl and I can talk to Josie now _she_ obviously has great connections. Maybe she can hook you up?” Veronica suggested. Cheryl nodded and smiled in agreement.

“After I tried to steal Valerie? I’m not sure she’ll be that easy to convince. I don’t even know if she’s forgiven me for that yet.”

“Let us do the talking. I’m sure she’ll come around. But always be suspicious of my parents Archie. They’re never ones to think about others. Especially when it comes to you and your dad right now.” Cheryl said.

“Yeah, actually I could talk to her this weekend. Her, Kevin, Reggie, Ethel and I are hanging out on Saturday. We’re taking a break from, like, _everything_. Anyone else in? The more the merrier!” Veronica said. Their entire _group_ could use a break. Plus, she’s sure they’d be safe as a bigger group when they went to the club.

“Sounds great but the tree tapping ceremony is Saturday afternoon. Can’t miss it.” Archie said.

“Sorry, the uh, the what?” Veronica asked.

“Oh, it’s a thing my family does each year the maple syrup season starts. It’s a tradition. We celebrate the first tree tapping. It’s to honour the people that founded it. I invited Jughead and Archie, and Polly as honourable guests.” Cheryl explained.

“Wow. That sounds…” Veronica said but she couldn’t think of a word. It sounded utterly _boring_ to her. But she’s never been to one, so she can’t really know for sure. Maybe it really was interesting.

“Really _white_.” Cheryl suddenly said with a frown. Her eyebrows were scrunched together in a look of disgust. Everyone looked at her.

“Explain?” Reggie asked. She shrugged.

“I don’t usually say things like that, but wow. Now that I think about it, this- this is white people shit. Oh my god, my dad even had a _scroll_ made specifically for this. This is _so_ white people shit. Holy crap.”

“A _scroll_?” Jughead deadpanned. Then a smirk made it’s way onto his lips. Veronica let out a small ‘oh my god’.

“Can’t wait to see that.” Archie laughed.

“That sounds uh, interesting.” Betty smiled, “But I can come to your place Veronica. Oh, hey, speaking of Polly, is she okay?” she asked Jughead.

“Yeah why?” he said.

“She hasn’t been responding to any of my texts of phone calls. I just wanna make sure.”

“Oh, she’s fine. In fact, she didn’t choose the Blossom’s over you guys, she’s there to spy on them. She thinks they may have had something to do with Jason’s death. Which, frankly, I agree.” Cheryl explained. Betty sighed in relief. Her eyes were watering but she held back tears. Veronica smiled.

“Thank god!” Betty breathed.

“Wait, you suspect them too? I thought they loved Jason.” Veronica said.

“Now I have no idea if they loved _him_ , or loved the idea of passing the company down to him. I don’t think he would have had a say in the matter. I’m sure he didn’t want to take over. He never actually said anything about it, but I could just feel it. He’s never been truly _interested_ in business. I don’t know what he would have chosen if he had the choice, but I know that he always wanted to help people. Mom and dad never really let us do what we want when it came to jobs and choosing career paths. I’m not sure if they were involved with Jason’s murder, or not. But they are suspicious of something. And the three of us are going to find out sooner or later.” Cheryl said.

Veronica herself, never knew Jason. His murder happened before she came to Riverdale. He seemed like a cool person. The _real_ him. The one that he hid from his family- aside from Cheryl. She knew the twins were obviously close. Most twins are. And the fact that he was in love with Jughead was really sweet. She almost wishes that he was alive so she could meet _this_ version of him.

***

Cheryl, Jughead and Archie walked down the snowy path towards the ceremony. The two boys had their hands linked while Cheryl had her arm linked with Jughead’s. He didn’t seem to mind. Polly was already there, having gone with Cheryl’s parents and Nana Rose.

“When Jason died, I thought I tapped my last tree.” Cheryl said. “I really appreciate you guys coming.”

“Hey, we’d do anything for you. You’re one of us now. You’re my sister.” Jughead said with a smile. Cheryl smiled widely.

“Now. Don’t be nervous.”

“Nervous? Me? Please.”

“All you have to do is hold the bucket steady. I’ll handle the rest.” Her voice was confident, but she was nervous. Jason usually did this. Not her, she was the one that held the bucket. Sure, she watched every single time, but _actually_ doing it was different than just watching. What if she messed it up somehow? Then the company would never go to her. Jason may not have wanted to work for it, but Cheryl loved their maple syrup. She was also willing to make up for her parent’s choices. For the way they hurt people to get what they want. She’d redeem their name and company. Her parents built a bad reputation for them. Their ancestors would be disappointed. Cheryl was willing to change that.

“Hey, you’ll do fine. You’ve seen Jason do it for six years. You have it memorized. You’ll be fine.” Jughead said, nudging her a little. She smiled.

“So, who are all of these people?” Archie asked, nodding towards the crowd.

“Entre nous? They’re daddy’s board of trustees. They smell blood in the water. That’s why they’re here. They’re worried dad’s losing his grip on the company. And they’re looking for a way to take it away from us.”

“They can do that?”

“If they all vote together they can. When Jason died, it was a PR debacle. And now, here’s Polly, pregnant and unwed. It’s no wonder they’ve descended upon us like some biblical plague.” Cheryl sighed quietly as they walked up and joined the group. She gave a fake smile towards her parents who were also giving fake smiles. But only she and her friends knew that. Maybe Nana Rose too.

Cheryl’s dad brought out the scroll, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two boys discreetly glance at each other. She held back a smirk remembering her comments earlier that week. Yup. This is white people shit. Why’d it take her this long to see it?

They listened as Cliff read out the opening speech. “And when my son, Jason, came of age he too took part in this celebration. Along with Cheryl. His time had passed far sooner than we anticipated. We shall have a moment of silence on his behalf.” There was a pause as everyone bowed their heads. “In his place, I put my daughter. His twin sister. Someone he loved very much, Cheryl Blossom. And one of our guests of honour, Forsythe Jones the Third.” There were a few quiet whispers at his name. Probably wondering why _he_ was a guest of honour. Cheryl knows for a fact that they didn’t tell anyone that Jason loved him. They were afraid that it would _tarnish_ their name. As if. They already did that.

Jughead got down onto one knee and put the bucket in place while Cheryl stood in front of him. She swallowed.

“Hey,” Jughead whispered, “you’ve got this. You can do this in your sleep.” Cheryl smiled.

She held the hammer tightly and wacked the bottom of the pipe. The syrup poured out and began filling up the bucket. Cheryl smiled widely. She didn’t screw it up! The crowd started cheering and Cheryl looked to see her parents giving _real_ smiles for once. Wow. That was unexpected. But maybe they were just relieved at the fact she didn’t mess up.

“Nice shot.” Jughead complimented as he lifted the bucket as the syrup slowed. “Jason would be proud.” Cheryl smiled at him.

***

Kevin held back a moan as he bit into the dinner Mrs. Lodge had cooked up. Hey, he was at a dinner with friends, and Mrs. Lodge was _right there_. It might have been rude. He glanced quickly at Reggie beside him. He was eating slowly, but he was eating. Over the past few days Kevin had noticed that he wasn’t eating that much. It worried him. Along with everything else of course. He still hadn’t been able to get him to talk though. At least tonight he was eating. Almost half of the food on his plate was gone. That’s a good sign.

“Mrs. Lodge, this quiche Lorraine is to die for!” Kevin said glancing up at her as he ate the last few bites. He’s had quiches before, but never like this. It’s heavenly!

“Yeah it’s great.” Reggie said. Kevin smiled. That was ninth time he’d said something today. He was talking more. Though, not about the things Kevin wants him to talk about. But still, it’s something. Wait. Is it weird that he’s keeping count? Probably. Eh, no one has to know that. He’s just worried. He wants Reggie to be okay.

“Ethel? You haven’t eaten at all.” Veronica said gently. Kevin glanced up to see Ethel straighten out a bit.

“Oh, uh. I’m sorry. I just- I guess I’m just not hungry. I-I’m sure it’s delicious though.” Ethel said. Kevin frowned and gave a sideways glance towards Reggie. (Good thing he was on his right. Kevin still can’t see much out of his left eye. Ugh.) His parents… Kevin doesn’t think they care about Reggie. The other boy had mentioned that they watch him like a hawk, but... was that even true? They still haven’t talked about when or if he’ll go back to his home. Kevin suddenly wondered if his dad knew what was going on and was deliberately not bringing it up. He is trained to recognize certain things… Reggie hadn’t reacted that much yet. At least, not in a noticeable way.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Veronica asked.

“My parents. All they do is yell at each other.” Ethel sighed. At this, Kevin saw Reggie look at Ethel. He couldn’t tell what his expression meant though.

Betty nodded. “My parents are fighting right now too. It’s terrible.”

“I think my dad had some bad luck with our savings. Now my mom says that we’re gonna have to sell the house. My dad is just so- _crushed_. I wish there was something I could do to help him.”

“Girl we have a lot more in common than I thought.” Veronica said. “We lost our place at the Dakota. Look, being ruined sucks. But, you have your family, and you have us. You’ve got this Ethel Muggs.”

“Muggs?” Mrs. Lodge asked.

“Uh, it’s Dutch. We lost the third G when my grandpa Manfred came over.” Ethel explained. Something in the way Mrs. Lodge look wasn’t right. But Kevin figured it wasn’t his business. Even more weird when she basically downed her wine. Veronica gave her a weird look. Yeah something _definitely_ wasn’t right.

***

Veronica followed her mother into her bedroom after dinner. Something was up. And it wasn’t good. “There’s something you need to know about that Muggs girl.”

“What?” Veronica asked.

“Her father, Manfred Muggs, invested with your dad. And it’s probable, that they lost a lot when your father got arrested. Maybe everything.”

“Mom their being kicked out of their house. Their home!” Veronica said fiercely. This could _not_ be happening.

“From what I’ve been told, the Muggs family is gonna testify _against_ your father.”

God Veronica has had it. That’s it. No more bullshit.

“They _should_. How many, mom? How many families like Ethel’s?”

Hermione sighed. “It’s the risk of doing business with your father.”

“Could Mr. Andrews lose everything? For doing business with you and dad?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Oh my god.” Veronica said, shaking her head. “Neither of those families deserve this. They’re _good people_. Some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Now they’re gonna be left with _nothing_. And it’s all thanks to you and dad.” With that said, Veronica left and went back to her friends.

“Hey, everything okay?” Kevin asked.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah it’s fine. Uh, so. Let’s get ready.”

“Ready?” Betty asked.

“Yeah. We’re going to a club for some music, some drinks, some _fun_. My mom’s totally cool with it. Don’t worry about your overly strict parents, she’ll cover for us. Betty, relax. It’ll be fine so long as you don’t drink too much.” Betty didn’t seem to be convinced, but she agreed to go anyway. “Awesome. Okay, the Pussycat’s are gonna meet us there.” Josie had invited them along. Hey, at times like this, the more the merrier!

The girls all went into Veronica’s bedroom while the two boys went into the guest room. Veronica had their outfits ready in there.

***

The Blossom family plus the honoured guests all began going their separate ways. Cheryl, Jughead and Archie all walked together, with Jughead once again in between the two redheads. They walked just behind two people that were members of the board. Cheryl frowned as they began talking about her father and what she’d done at the funeral.

“Hey!” Archie suddenly said.

“Archie, you don’t have to.” Cheryl said quickly.

“Cheryl loved Jason. What was she meant to do at his funeral? Not cry? Yeah, Jason was on the football team, but Cheryl was there for every single game too. Doing as much to help the Bulldogs win as he did.”

“Also four point oh.”

Well, while he’s at it and all…

“She also has a four point oh grade point average. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned while being in Cheryl’s class, and her friend, it’s don’t underestimate her. And don’t bet against her.”

“She’s one of the greatest people I’ve ever met.” Jughead chimed in. “You should be lucky to be related to her.”

The three of them left with Cheryl smiling. “You guys didn’t have to do that.”

“Hey like we said, we’d do anything for you Cheryl. We meant that. Those people clearly don’t see what we see. It’s high time they did.” Archie said. He pulled her in for a hug.

“People need to know the girl we know. The one that’s _actually_ willing to help others. One that has a fierce fire that no one can extinguish.” Jughead also hugged her.

“Hey, are we still on for the plan?” she asked as they pulled away.

“Yeah. We are.” Archie replied.

“Okay. We can go Monday morning just before school. I paid Joe extra to keep quiet. I explained to him what we’re doing, and he trusts us.”

“Oh Joe! That’s his name.” Jughead said. The two redheads looked at him oddly. “Sorry, continue.”

“I told my parents that the Vixens have an early practice, and the Bulldog’s have a meeting. So they’ll think we’re just at school.”

“Nice. We’ll need to check the rooms for their computer. At that time, they’ll probably have their phone on them. But I’ll be able to do a background check on the computer.” Jughead said. The other two nodded.

“Then we’re ago. Archie, your dad can still drop you off, and head out the doors on the other end of the school where we’ll meet you. Then we’ll head back to the car and to the house.”

“Right, got it.” Archie said. The three of them started walking again.

***

Kevin stared at himself in the mirror. He’d just put on the outfit Veronica had gotten for him. He looked _amazing_ in it. Although he didn’t exactly feel as confident as he should. He’d gotten used to people’s stares at school. The stares that were aimed at the ugly bruise on his face. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen at the club. It would mostly be filled with drunk people. He didn’t know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. It did look a little bit better than it had earlier that week though. It was fairly light, just a little darker still around his eye. But it was still noticeable. _Shit._ He sighed. But the bruise was his own fault. He’s the one that left his phone outside and decided to go and get it. He did this to himself. _And_ he’d brought Reggie into it because of the damn law saying they couldn’t be out alone.

But he can’t cover it up and hide. He can’t let those people get to him. Not tonight, not ever.

“Kevin, you okay?” Kevin turned to see Reggie, and oh… my… _god_!

The outfit that Veronica had picked out for Reggie was… _wow_! Long story short- he was really, _really_ hot! The shirt was _just_ tight enough that it showed his muscles, and the pants clung nicely to his body. _His butt probably looks amazing!_

Reggie cleared his throat awkwardly. “Kevin?” Right. He’d been staring for too long. Oops. A light heat rose in Kevin’s face.

“Oh, uh, yeah. I’m uh, I’m fine.” Lie. _Kevin, you suck at lying._

“You sure?”

Wait. One. Second. Is Reggie trying to get _him_ to talk about _his_ problems? Now way.

“Yeah… are you?”

Silence.

The two boys had a staring contest for a few seconds before Reggie looked away.

“Y-yeah. Totally.” And lie. They both needed to get better at acting.

“Yeah…” Kevin said slowly. He saw the way Reggie flinched but he didn’t comment on it. Now didn’t feel like the right time to talk about anything. They were going out to have fun for once. “Uh, the girls are probably waiting for us. You ready?”

“Yeah.”

_Knock, knock, knock_!

That was probably Veronica.

“Time to have some fun.” Kevin smiled.

***

The three teenagers sat in the back seat of the car Monday morning, with Jughead in the middle once again. (That was becoming a routine for them.) Archie had given Joe the directions to the house they were going to break into. They chose the day because most people didn’t set their alarms when they left. Only at night. So, they had a better chance of being undetected. Yes, they could be seen, but that was better than setting off the security system. Or waking the person up. Archie had said that they usually left for school right about now. They parked a couple of blocks away.

“Which house is it?” Cheryl asked, peering out the window.

“The one with the light blue bug pulling out of the driveway.” Archie said.

Wait.

Wait. One. Second.

That car…

MS. GRUNDY!

“Shit…” she muttered beneath her breath. Only Jughead heard it thankfully. He glanced at her, but didn’t say anything. Cheryl didn’t like this. Not one bit. If Ms. _Grundy_ is the one that owns that house then… Archie was rejecting _her_ during that phone call. EW! Cheryl had always suspected her of something though, now she knew what. She’s a freaking cougar!

They waited until they couldn’t see the little blue bug anymore. “Okay, Joe, keep watch and text either of us if someone comes to the house.” Cheryl said.

“Be careful kids.”

They certainly were. Jughead had taken off his crown beanie and wore a baseball cap, and Archie opted for a hat and no Bulldog jacket. Cheryl had styled her hair in a braid and made sure that the strands wouldn’t fall out so easily.

The three teens got out - and sneaked their way over to the house. They each put on a pair of gloves- no finger prints that way. Jughead got them inside without any trouble. There weren’t any security cameras they needed to worry about thank gosh. At first it just looked like an ordinary home. But this woman had some kind of relationship with _Archie_ at some point. THAT was _not_ ordinary.

“I’ll check upstairs.” Cheryl said and walked over to the stairs.

“I’ll check the basement.” Jughead said.

“And I’ll look on this floor.” Archie nodded. They split up.

“Take a picture of anything that looks suspicious. We can sort through them later.” Cheryl said. They nodded and she walked up the slightly creaky staircase. Her first stop was the bedroom.

Again at first glance- ordinary. But she knew it wasn’t. She instantly made her way over to the desk.

There was mostly school related stuff in it, until the last drawer.

There was a freaking gun.

Not some measly little shot gun either.

A Smith & Wesson Model 686 with 2 1/2" Barrel - .357 Magnum to be exact.

Cheryl may or may not have taken a few defense courses. She took out her phone and snapped a picture worthy of looking at later. As she closed the drawer something caught her eye. On the bed- was a phone.

Hell yeah. She grabbed that and the charger it was connected to and placed both items in a plastic bag. Well they had one thing. Whether or not it was the phone Ms. Grundy used everyday was the big question. There was nothing fancy or personal about it. But the teacher did seem to live a boring life outside of whatever the hell she does with teenage boys. Ugh.

Her phone vibrated.

**Archie: Got her laptop.**

**Cheryl: Got her phone.**

**King: Found a drawer full of phones. Grabbing them too.**

Cheryl frowned. Someone with that many phones were never up to anything good. That was a huge clue as to who _Ms. Grundy_ really was.

**Cheryl: Okay. Let’s get the hell out.**

They met up on the main floor and placed the bagged objects into Cheryl’s bags. They got out with no problem, and headed back to the school.

***

Veronica opened her locker and sighed. The Saturday night plans did not go as planned unfortunately. She shook her head. School. Focus on school.

“Hey.” Betty said as she walked up to her.

“Hey.”

“You think the guys will move past what happened Saturday night?”

Veronica looked down and sighed. “I honestly don’t know. But it’s up to them if they want to move on or not. I am worried though. Reggie really needs someone there for him, Kevin too. They’ve been avoiding each other, and us all morning.”

“I really hope they talk to _someone_. They shouldn’t bottle stuff up.”

“Yeah.” Veronica grabbed the things she needed and closed her locker just as Kevin walked up to her.

“Oh, my god, did you hear?” he asked.

“Hear what?”

“Remember when you went swooping in to save Ethel because you thought she might be suicidal?” he whispered.

Veronica froze and paled. “Oh no. She- she didn’t-”

“No. Her dad did. He accidentally swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills. He’s gonna be okay but…” Veronica didn’t hear Kevin anymore. All she heard was a white noise. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t see. Her eyes were stinging and her throat was dry.

Suddenly she found herself in the girl’s locker room as the tears finally came. She doesn’t even remember walking there. She looked in the mirror and stared at the pearls.

It’s all because of _him_.

She ripped the necklace off and let the tears and sobs come as the beads fell onto the floor. She didn’t care. She couldn’t. She couldn’t care about that man anymore. He was hurting so many people. Who else was suicidal? Or had _actually_ committed suicide?

She didn’t want to know that answer. She didn’t want to be a part of this family. The _Lodge_ family. It was a horrible name now. She despised it. She couldn’t take this anymore.

It took her a while to realize that Betty was there holding her. Veronica doesn’t even know when she came in.

Veronica skipped the rest of the school day.

***

Kevin watched Veronica head towards the locker rooms. He swallowed. This had not been a good weekend. It hadn’t been a good _week_. Hell, it hadn’t really been a good _year_ either. Betty started heading in the direction Veronica went.

“Uh, Betty, wait!” she turned around, “Have you seen Reggie? I wanna talk to him.”

“No, sorry Kevin, I haven’t seen him all day.” She kept walking.

Kevin sighed. He and Reggie seriously needed to talk. Things had gone too far. They couldn’t keep this up any longer. He needed Reggie to talk. He also needed to apologize… But first, he had to find him.

It took quite a while- Kevin may or may not be ditching class, but he _so_ wasn’t the only one that day- but he eventually found him outside by the school’s dumpsters. Odd place to hide, but it _did_ work.

Once he saw Reggie though he froze.

Reggie was sitting on the ground, just staring ahead. Staring at nothing. His eyes were tinged red. But now there were no tears. There wasn’t _anything_.

Reggie hadn’t even acknowledged Kevin’s presence.

Kevin swallowed and forced his legs to move. He carefully sat down next to Reggie. The other boy still didn’t do anything.

How could he have let this get this far? He should have done something a long time ago.

He silently took in a deep breath and let it out.

“I know saying sorry won’t make up for what happened on Saturday.” He tried to make his voice steady, but it was hard. “But I _am_ , _so, so_ sorry Reggie.” His voice cracked. His eyes stung. Damn it he thought he could do this without that.

But maybe he’d been holding back for far too long. No more.

“When I was ten, my mom left. She took my two little sisters with her. They haven’t been back since. I don’t even know where they went. Haven’t seen them in six years. After a while dad started drinking. I had to grow up pretty fast. Then I started to get bullied at school. I didn’t even know why until I got called a “fag” one day. My dad’s drinking had gotten worse over time. I didn’t have any friends. I didn’t have anyone to talk to, not even my mom.

“Then… one day I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t think that anyone cared about me. Dad had actually been sober that day and had gone to work. He found me just in time. I woke up in the hospital. Dad was crying. He promised that he’d do better. That he’d stop drinking. He kept that promise. But my mom never came back. Not even after that day. They couldn’t reach her. Last year I gave up on trying to find her. I accepted the fact that I’d never see my little sisters again.

“Coming to Riverdale was a nice change. It gave us a chance to start over. My dad took the job as sheriff, and I got to meet Betty. My first _real_ friend. Things are finally good for us.” Kevin’s tears had finally slowed down. He sniffed and risked looking over at Reggie.

He was crying.

Kevin moved closer and wrapped his arm around him.

“I lied about my parents.” His voice was barely a whisper, but Kevin was close enough to hear it. “They’re never there. At home. I don’t even know where they are. They only act like good parents so they won’t get labelled as bad ones. Ever since… Ever since they found Jason’s body I…” Reggie closed his eyes.

“I-I’m scared.”

His voice was so quiet that Kevin almost missed it.

“It’s okay to be afraid Reggie. At this point, I think we’re all afraid.”

Reggie let out a shaky breath. The tears have slowed now.

“I don’t wanna be alone anymore.”

“Hey.” Kevin’s voice was soft, and he turned Reggie’s head so that he was looking at him. “You’re not. You’ve got me. My dad too. And Betty, Veronica, Cheryl, Archie- everyone. Even Ethel. You can talk to me about anything.”

The bell suddenly rang startling the both of them. Kevin stood up and brought Reggie with him.

“Let’s get out of here.” Kevin said.

***

At dinner, the Blossoms plus the board members and the honoured guests all sat around a large table. “We were tested this year. As a town, as a company- but mainly, as a family. And it may not have been Jason’s hand that staked the maple this year, but-” Cheryl held her breath as Cliff paused his speech and glanced at her. “It was the hand of hope.” She quietly let out her breath as the people began clapping. The music started playing and people either began eating, or dancing. “Jughead, come have this first dance with me.” Cheryl said. They made their way to the dance floor and began dancing with the crowd. Cheryl surprisingly didn’t need to teach Jughead how to dance. His sister took up dance lesson and would practice with him sometimes.

“The liars. They wanted me to fail so they could steal the company.” Cheryl sighed.

“Hey, we’re _not_ going to let that happen.” Jughead said. “You want to take over some day and make things right. You _will_.”

Cheryl smiled, but then something caught her eye. “Why’s my dad talking to Archie?” Jughead quickly glanced over. Archie didn’t look very comfortable talking to Cliff.

“That doesn’t look good. Let’s just hope that whatever Cliff is offering Archie doesn’t accept it.”

“Yeah. Hey when’s your birthday?” Jughead looked at her oddly. “What?”

“That was a drastic conversation change.”

Cheryl rolled her eyes. “Not a drastic change, I just wanna know. What with us being siblings and all.” Jughead smirked.

“Next Friday. No surprise parties.”

“Okay if you say so.”

“Cheryl, I mean it.”

“So do I.”

“Uh huh.”

“Hey did you find anything on Grundy’s electronics?”

“Yeah, a _lot_. We can meet up tomorrow at Archie’s. Betty and her mom are meeting us there for a Blue and Gold meeting. Along with Kevin and Reggie.”

Cheryl nodded and frowned. “Is Archie okay with them knowing about him and Grundy?” Jughead glanced in Archie’s direction again. He was still talking to Cliff. Archie made a quick glance in their direction. He clearly wanted out of that conversation. Guess they should come to the rescue.

“He’s a little worried about their reactions, but he said he’s okay with them knowing. Come on, let’s rescue him from the evil that is Cliff Blossom.”

“Agreed.”

They stopped dancing and walked over to Archie. “Hey, mind if we borrow Archie for a bit? We need to talk about a school project.” Jughead said, wrapping his arm around Archie.

“Oh, of course. We’ll be in touch Archibald.” Cliff said and walked away. The three teenagers walked into another room that was empty.

“What did he say?” Cheryl asked. Archie sat down in a nearby chair and sighed. Jughead squeezed his hand.

“That he wanted to help my dad. I didn’t know how to answer without it backfiring on us, so I didn’t say anything. But he kept talking. Explaining why he wants to help. He said that the board was interested in offering me a job. I didn’t know how to say no, but I didn’t say yes. I want my dad to be okay, but not if the help is from Cliff and Penelope.”

“Yeah they’re still trying to take the drive-in land. Going after you and your dad is the only way they know how to do it.” Jughead sighed.

“I can’t believe them. We have to find out who the original buyer is and stop this somehow.” Cheryl said fiercely.

***

That evening Veronica was packing quite a few suitcases just as her mother came home from work. Hermione watched as Smithers carried a few of them out the door.

“Honey what’s all this?” she asked.

“Did you hear the news?” Veronica asked. She didn’t stop packing.

“What news?”

“Manfred Muggs tried to commit suicide. He’ll be okay but it was close.”

“Oh my god.” Hermione’s voice was low. Veronica didn’t even _glance_ at her.

“That family didn’t deserve what they got. None of the families that dealt with you and Hiram did. They’re _good_ people Hermione. You and Hiram? Ugh, you’re _not_. Probably never have been.”

“What’s with this Hermione and Hiram? We’re your _parents_ Veronica.”

Veronica finally finished packing and zipped up the last suitcase and turned to her. Her expression was neutral.

“Not anymore.”

Hermione stared at her.

“What?”

Veronica grabbed a binder that was sitting on the couch and handed it to her. Hermione flipped through the pages and quickly read them over.

“Wh- These- these- are-”

“Adoption papers. Yes.”

Hermione gave her a look of disbelief with a bit of despair mixed in with it. “Why?”

“I no longer want to be a part of this- _family_. I’m leaving. Since I’m only sixteen, I can’t live on my own. But instead of a home I’ve reached out. It’s all taken care of, you just have to sign the last page at the bottom.”

Hermione stared at the page.

“You think I’m going to _sign_ this? You’re _my_ daughter!”

“I may be your daughter, but you are _not_ my mother.”

“Who’s adopting you?” It wasn’t a question.

“I asked if they could remain anonymous. They can.”

“Honey, I’m trying to _fix_ things. I’m trying to make Lodge Industries legit!”

“You’re clearly not doing a very good job.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“If you want to _fix things_ , Hermione, start by _helping people_ instead of hurting them. If you want to do that great. But I’m not gonna help you. You took _everything_ from me just like everyone else. You even stole my _name_. But that’s fine. I’m letting it go. And you’re going to let _me_ go.”

Hermione stared at her for a few seconds.

Then she grabbed a pen and viciously scribbled her name down. She slammed the binder down on the table.

“Get out.” she hissed.

“Gladly.” Veronica picked up the last few suitcases, and the binder. “Just remember one thing. You never kicked me out. I left on my own.”

The next day after school, she and Betty visited the hospital. Veronica carried a bouquet of flowers in her hands. They found Ethel and her mother in the lobby.

“Veronica, Betty hi. Uh, mom these are my friends.” Ethel said. Her mother smiled at them.

“I’m so sorry about what happened Mrs. Muggs. I just…” Veronica glanced down at the flowers. “I used to be Veronica Lodge.”

“Lodge.” Mrs. Muggs glared at her.

“Mom, wait, ‘used to be’, what do you mean?” Ethel asked.

Veronica passed the flowers over to Betty, and dug out her new driver’s licence.

“Veronica McCoy?” Ethel gasped.

“As of yesterday, Veronica _Lodge_ is dead. Lodge Industries has hurt too many people. Trust me when I say this. Hermione and Hiram Lodge are _going_ to get what’s coming for them.”

***

“Hey, you ready?” Kevin asked Reggie. After ditching school, they’d spent the afternoon on Kevin’s bed watching movies. He smiled briefly as he remembered how close they were. He wasn’t sure what was happening between them. But he liked it. He was sure that Reggie felt the same way. Jughead might just be right after all.

A lot more than what was happening with him and Joaquin.

It was fun at first, but then… he started asking question about his dad and the Blue and Gold. It didn’t sit well with Kevin. Whatever was going on with him and Joaquin- it was fake. He knew it. He’d just been so excited to find someone like him in Riverdale. He couldn’t help it. But he knew one thing for sure.

What was happening between him and _Reggie_ \- _that_ was real.

“Yeah,” glanced at him as he was tying his shoe, “let’s go.”

They started their walk over to the Andrew’s household. Kevin’s stomach fluttered as their hands brushed against each other. He bit his lip nervously. Should he…

He took a risk and linked their hands together.

He sighed on the inside in relief as Reggie didn’t pull away. This _thing_ was so… real. More real than Joaquin. It was safe. But, at the same time it was all so new. If this was going to happen, it would happen slowly. Kevin was perfectly fine with that. He’d kind of rushed into things last time. He wouldn’t mind taking it slow. Kevin smiled and linked their fingers together and gave a gentle squeeze. Yeah. This was right.

They arrived at the Andrew’s household sooner than he’d like. Archie greeted them with a smile and guided them upstairs to his bedroom.

Kevin watched as Jughead put the last few pictures up on the Blue and Gold murder board. They had moved it to the Archie’s closet, behind his clothes. They figured it would be the last place people would look for it. It was safer than having it at the school. The others had explained why they suspected Ms. Grundy and-

Ew.

Apparently, she was a total _cougar_. And went after _Archie_ of all teenagers. It’s just- _gross_. But he was glad that for the most part, Archie was okay now. He didn’t deserve to get screwed over.

“Okay.” Jughead said. He took a few steps back and stood with the group. “We did some digging and I found out that Ms Grundy, isn’t Ms. Grundy. Her name is supposedly Jennifer Gibson. The real Ms. Grundy, her,” he pointed to the picture of an old woman, “passed away. There is no information on her until last year. She has a _gun_ for some reason, and multiple cell phones. She must have other ID’s then, that go with those phones.”

“How- how exactly did you obtain this evidence?” Alice asked, giving Jughead a suspicious look. Actually, that was a good question. All eyes turned towards Jughead who’d glanced at the two redheads. Okay then…

“Digging.” Jughead replied.

“Uh huh. What _kind_ of digging?”

Silence. Interesting. Although Kevin had his suspicions from the moment the picture of the gun _in a desk_ was put up on the board next to Gibson’s face. (She isn’t even _that_ pretty to be honest. But that could totally be because he’s gay…) Anyway.

Archie then sighed and went over to his closet and pulled out a box. Uh oh. He opened the lid and put it down in front of them.

_Oh thank god._

It was _just_ the phones and her laptop?

“What you decided to leave the gun there?” Alice asked.

“Yes, we’re not _stupid_.” Cheryl said with a scoff.

“But stupid enough to commit a crime for evidence.”

“We know what we did wasn’t exactly the best way to get evidence. Also, need I remind you that you leaked Jason’s autopsy without consent. _That_ wasn’t exactly _legal_ either.”

Alice frowned and sighed.

“Fine. Continue.”

“Okay. We know the Blossom’s are trying to buy back the land. They’re going after the Andrews because they don’t know who the original buyer is. Whoever sent those thugs out to beat the equipment wasn’t from here. They were from Montreal.” Jughead said.

“Montreal?” Alice asked. Jughead nodded. “Oh my god. I think I know who the buyer is.”

“What- who mom?” Betty asked.

“Hiram Lodge.”

“Wait. Mrs. Lodge had a thing going with my dad earlier.” Archie said.

“That would give him a reason to send thugs after your dad.” Jughead said. He walked over to the board and used a string to connect Hiram’s name to Hermione and Fred’s picture.”

“Wait. Wait. Oh my god, oh my god.” Cheryl suddenly said. They all turned to her. “I can’t believe I forgot.” She stared up at the board.

“Gibson was hired as Jason’s music teacher.”

Holy crap.

Jughead connected her name to Jason’s picture. “The Lodge’s and Blossom’s both want that land. Both want it for their companies.” Jughead said as he backed up to look at the board. “What better way to screw over a kingdom, then to get rid of the next heir to the throne?”

Jughead connected Hiram’s name to Jason’s.

“And to do that, it’s good to have someone on the inside. How’d your parents know about Gibson?” he asked Cheryl. She shook her head.

“I don’t know.” she said.

Jughead then connected Hiram’s name, to Gibson’s.

* * *

 

It turned out that the universe wasn’t quite finished with the changes of the not so sleepy town of Riverdale.

New evidence has been found. Links have been made. Was this good or bad news for Riverdale?

New relationships were being formed. Whether it’s friendship, or romantic, old ones were being ditched like garbage.

Veronica’s father’s crimes would remain just that. Veronica _Lodge_ was no more.

Veronica McCoy. She was the new Veronica. The question remained.

What kind of changes would she bring?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't really want to split this one in two chapters, so you get a REALLY long one lol.  
> But don't worry, I won't do more than three if I'm doing more than one POV in a chapter.  
> Also I know Joaquin isn't truly evil in the show. But I decided to go that way.  
> And yes, in case you forgot- Ms. Grundy is STILL HERE. Things didn't happen the same way here as they did in the show. The gang is only finding out about it NOW, rather than earlier. So yeah, she's been there the whole time just in the background. Let's just say they slightly forgot about her as they were dealing with all of that other crap.  
> So that's it! I think lol. Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	11. And I Grew Up and Called Him Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I need to add in more Veronica at some point, but I HAD to do this one all in Jughead's POV okay? It just wouldn't allow me to do anyone else.  
> But don't worry Veronica fan's, hopefully I'll be able to add more of her in the next chapter or two! :D I will NOT leave her high and dry!

Weekdays, from eight-twenty-five AM, to three-oh-one PM, they adhere to a strict regimen. Everything in their lives is controlled. But then something like the murder of Jason Blossom happens, and one realizes, that there is no such thing as control. There is only chaos.

Nevertheless, some of them strive to impose and maintain order, in what is fundamentally an order-less world. A fact, which would very soon be confirmed-

In ways, no one could have foreseen.

* * *

 

Jughead sat on Jason’s bed and sighed.

He was feeling a bit downtrodden. Why? It was complicated. _Very_ complicated. He was a complicated guy. More so than most people. He never really understood why. His parents were never that complicated. Even his little sister wasn’t.

It’s not like he was confused as to who he was. He knew who he was. He was Forsythe P. Jones the Third. Also, known as Jughead. He was sixteen. He was, more or less, “the emo kid” of Riverdale High. Although, it should be noted, that he didn’t try to be that kid. It just happened. He was one of the, if not _the_ smartest person at the school. Archie considered him a genius or sorts. He wasn’t sure about _that_ , but he knew he was incredibly smart for someone his age. He knows he doesn’t like sports. He’s asexual, and bisexual. He fell in love with Archie Andrews as they started dating. He’s a lone wolf. He does have what one would call a group of friends though- Archie, Betty, Cheryl, are his closest friends. Veronica, Kevin and Reggie well… they’re acquaintances at best. Ethel had _just_ joined their group. He wasn’t sure what to make of her yet. He doesn’t know them that well, and wouldn’t have looked twice at them no more than two months ago.

He’d even considered Cheryl a mortal enemy of him, and his two friends until she found him living at the school. Until she’d asked him to live at Thornhill. Then she became his sister. Almost overnight. They’d bonded over Jason and Jellybean. Their siblings that they no longer have.

_That_ , is part of the reason why he’s down. His sister- his blood sister. Jellybean. He hadn’t seen her since their mother took her, and their dog, Hotdog and left. He didn’t even know where they went. He hasn’t stopped trying to find his sister. He no longer cared about their mother, but he loved his sister dearly. Every _day_ he continued to search for her. With no answers. Perhaps their mother had changed their names. Changed them so that they wouldn’t be found. So that their _father_ wouldn’t find them and possibly ruin their good lives. But what she might have forgotten- was Jughead. Maybe she thought that he was just like their father. But he _wasn’t_. She should have known that. Maybe she did. Jughead had never known his mother’s true thoughts towards him. He’d just always assumed that they were normal motherly thoughts. She’d said that she loved him multiple times. Never said she didn’t. But she never said what she really thought of him. As a person, as her son. Now he might never know.

He knew what Jellybean thought of him. He was her big brother. She thought he was cool. She liked that he was different. They had similar interests and had a very close bond. Did their mother ever really see that? Or did she think he wasn’t a good example for Jellybean?

Questions like these plagued him almost every day as he searched.

So, yes. He missed his sister. And Hotdog- he loved that dog. Man’s best friend.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

Jason Blossom.

Jason was the golden boy of Riverdale High, and quite possibly, Riverdale itself. He was the one every boy- except Jughead- wanted to be. He attracted girls everywhere he went. He was the heir to the Blossom family company. He was twins with his sister, Cheryl who was also very popular. He was considered to be, perfect. Perfect among an imperfect world. And for him, maybe at first it was.

But then the unthinkable happened.

He saw Forsythe P. Jones the Third in a different light one day.

That light soon turned into a crush. A crush that very soon turned into love.

Jason Blossom had fallen in love with Jughead Jones. He fell, and he fell hard. Fell for the boy that was considered, by most, to be the town freak that was just like his father. The boy- that was a _boy_.

Jason Blossom, the town’s golden boy was supposed to be perfect. Do as his parents wanted. Only like _girls_. Forsythe P. Jones the Third, was most definitely _not_ a girl. And that fact alone scared him to death. Scared him so badly that he ignored it and flaunted after girls like he thought he should.

But- according to Cheryl whom Jason had told- soon he realized with a great fear, that was attracted to other boys as well. And he _wasn’t_ attracted to girls. Not in the way he should have been.

This fact became a burden.

He hid who he really was from everyone except Cheryl. It haunted him every single day.

Despite wanting to hide, he still wanted Jughead to be okay. To be happy. It broke his heart when he learned that his parents split, his mother taking Jelly and Hotdog with her. To see what his father had become- a drunken Serpent mess. He wanted Jughead to know that Jason was there for him. Without actually telling him. So, he’d sit beside him in the park he and his sister used to play in, hidden amongst the trees as they stared ahead. He didn’t respond when Jughead questioned him. Eventually Jughead stopped asking. Just let it happen. Jason even left him more than enough money to get by. Jason saved Jughead from starvation.

One day some guys on the football team, namely Chuck, created the Play Book. Jason saw it as an opportunity. An opportunity to blend in and hide.

Now, Jason didn’t _want_ to hurt anyone. But he had to retain his perfect reputation. He _couldn’t_ be _gay_. Then he met Polly Cooper. Chuck had put her name in the Play Book. Jason decided to do it. He didn’t _want_ to do it. Polly was in fact, a perfectly nice girl that didn’t deserve anything she was about to get. Jason made Polly fall in love with him.

He _hated_ it.

But he had to hide. _She_ was his way of hiding. They were each other’s firsts when it came to sex. Then Jason had called out Jughead’s real name, Forsythe. Everyone knew his real name. Including Polly. She was upset at first, because who wouldn’t be? However, she soon got to learn who the _real_ Jason was. She liked him better, and as friends. They became good friends. Jason now had someone else to talk to about his issues other than Cheryl.

Life might have been fine had it not been for his parents. His parents and the Cooper’s. Them and their _dumb_ feud over the maple syrup land. Polly had come to him and told him that she was pregnant. It became too much for him. He _had_ wanted a family someday, but not like this. Not by accident.

Then he got the idea to run away. Fake his death so they wouldn’t go searching for him. Maybe take Polly with him so he could be with their baby. It broke him when he realized that he would never be able to see Jughead ever again. It didn’t just break him, it _killed_ him. Metaphorically.

The Tragedy happened, and Jason was finally free. Free of his parents, free of his reputation- Free to watch Jughead and Cheryl from above with no judgements. No one to tell him what to do or how to act. He could be himself.

Jughead stared at the picture of Jason on the nightstand. More than often he found himself thinking of him. Not about the case, just… _him_. The real Jason Blossom that no one knew. The one that was incredibly kind, smart, athletic, very much gay, and scared. He thought about how much Jason had actually help him when no one else did. Jason had _saved_ him. The more Jughead learned about _this_ Jason, the more he liked him. The more he cared. He hoped that wherever he was now, Jason was happy. He deserved to be happy after the crappy, short life he got.

Jughead found himself quite often wishing that Jason were still alive. Still in Riverdale. He was a bit confused by this, because what would he have done? If his death hadn’t happened, Jughead still wouldn’t have known who the real Jason was. He wouldn’t have known about Jason’s love for him.

But, if he suddenly returned after being gone for a few months… Jughead would become his friend. Jason would become a part of their group. Their group that seemed to be getting bigger as the year goes on. Show him that it’s okay to be gay. To be who you really are.

None of these thoughts bothered Jughead that much. Nor did the feelings that came with them.

He did question some things though.

Like, why were the feelings he felt when he thought about Jason extremely similar to what he felt when he thought about Archie? Was it possible to fall for someone that has died? Was that weird? Not normal?

Why does he attract redheads into his life? First, there was Archie. Jughead was just playing by himself on the playground at school, and Archie decided to befriend him. When they were older, he’d made Jason fall in love with him without even trying. Archie too as it turned out. Then Cheryl suddenly came into his life and became his sister. Like, is it weird to have this many redheads in his life?

Although… Maybe he shouldn’t question that… The universe has its reasons.  Besides, life is good now. For the most part.

The “not good” part being, one, Jason is dead. Two, Jughead’s birthday is tomorrow.

Okay, yeah, birthdays are genuinely a _good_ thing. But Jughead kind of really despises birthdays. He even refuses to celebrate his. He doesn’t mind celebrating other’s birthdays, like Archie, Cheryl and Jellybean. Or even Jason’s birthday. His own though… nope. Usually on that day he and Archie would go to a double feature at the Bijou. Nothing but him, Archie, movie theater junk food, and the movies. Archie would always insist on getting him some kind of gift _because he’s Archie_. But Jughead didn’t mind that. Almost no one hated getting gifts, right? Especially, if it were food.

He was certain that Cheryl was planning _something_ for tomorrow. He just hoped that it wouldn’t be too big. Maybe… he could do it if it were just their group. Maybe. But Cheryl’s done so much for him already, one of these days he’s gotta do something in return.

Jughead sighed as he glanced at his phone for the time.

Time to face the day.

Things were normal for once. As normal as they could be now anyway. But Cheryl was suspiciously happier than usual. That could only mean one thing. Jughead was right. Something was going to happen tomorrow, and he couldn’t figure out if it was good or bad.

After school, Jughead hung out with Archie at his place.

He took the pizza they were waiting for out of the oven and placed it on the cutting board. Archie began cutting it and Jughead snickered when Archie winced as he touched the hot pizza.

“Dude. It literally _just_ came out of the oven.” Jughead said.

“Shut up, jerk.”

“So, a John Landis double feature at the Bijou. American Werewolf, and Animal House.”

“Awesome, can’t wait!” Archie became quiet for a few moments too long for Jughead.

“Arch, what’s up?”

Archie hesitated. “Why do you hate your birthday?” he asked quietly. Jughead frowned. He knew this day would come eventually. He just thought that it’d be farther away.

Jughead shrugged. “PTSD from when I was a kid? I don’t know. Things were always messed up at home. Usually because of my dad, and there was this, arbitrary day… That we would just get together, and pretend things were great, we were normal. Just… made me feel really lonely.” Jughead didn’t meet Archie’s eyes. He’d never told anyone that before. He was scared of what Archie thought. What anyone thought.

“Hey, Jughead.” Archie said gently. He came closer to Jughead and hugged him. “You’re not alone. You’ve got us. You’ve got _me_. Nothing’s gonna ruin that. Hey, look at me.” When Jughead didn’t Archie cupped the side of his face and moved his head so that he did. “I mean it. I love you, _so_ much Jughead. Nothing’s going to take that away.”

Archie closed the gap between them with a reassuring, sweet, gentle kiss. Jughead would never say it out loud, but these were his favourite. The butterflies in his stomach went crazy when it happened.

“Arch something else is on your mind.” Jughead said, breaking the kiss. Archie looked down and sat back in the chair. “Hey, talk to me.” Archie bit his lip nervously. Then he sighed.

“This weekend, is supposed to be about _you_ , Juggie.”

“Bullshit. I can’t have a good time when I know you’re upset about something Archie. Hey.” Jughead reached over and grabbed Archie’s hand and squeezed it. “You and Fred always get me to talk to you. You can talk to me too.” Archie swallowed.

“My parents are getting the divorce finalized. That’s why my dad’s leaving.” He didn’t meet Jughead’s eyes. Jughead swallowed.

He glanced at the pizza, and stood up. Not letting go of Archie’s hand, he grabbed the pizza board and lead his boyfriend out into the living room. Well, hey, the kitchen table isn’t exactly a good place to cuddle, now is it? Jughead sat down on the couch and took Archie down with him and brought him in close. If there’s one thing to know about Archie, it’s that he loves cuddling. Always has. He’d probably never admit it though. Jughead himself was up for hugs, but not usually up for cuddling. But, this is what Archie needed right now.

Archie latched onto him almost immediately and wrapped his arms around Jughead. He sighed again and closed his eyes, resting his head on Jughead’s shoulder.

“I just wish…it wasn’t so… _final_.” Archie mumbled. “Until now, I used to think that maybe there was a little hope. Now… it’s just _gone_. The moment my dad walked out the door.”

Saying “it’ll be okay” won’t make it okay. It almost never does. Saying “it’s not your fault” is too overused and people hardly believe it anyway. Archie might be hoping for those words, but Jughead chooses not to say them.

“Time will go on. Your mother will move on, your dad will move on. You’ll try to move on, and hopefully you will. Eventually, things will settle in place.” Archie opened his eyes and looked up at him. His eyes were tinged with a speck of hope. Unlike a few moments ago. “And I’ll be right there with you. All the way. Hope may burn out a little faster than we’d like, but love’s candle tends to stay lit longer than most. I love you Archie Andrews. You’ll always have me.”

Archie stared at him for a few moments before leaning in and kissing him.

“I thought you didn’t like clichés.”

“Shut up Andrews, or I’ll eat the whole pizza.”

“As if.”

“I’m serious.”

“Hey Jug?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.” Archie’s voice was quiet and soft, but so full of love. Jughead kissed him.

The next day went by quickly. Usually Jughead was thankful, had it not been his birthday. He and Archie made their way over to Pop’s after school for a meal.

At the Bijou, the boys settled down in the best seats available. There weren’t that many people there, so there were quite a few empty seats.

“Hey uh, I was talking to Kevin and he said that Chuck came back to school and that he and Betty had some kind of scene in the café? Is everything okay?” Jughead asked.

“Oh. I don’t know actually. Kevin, likes to embellish a bit, it wasn’t really that bad. Only a few people looked over. But I didn’t really get a chance to talk to her when they were finished. Chuck had sat down beside Ethel, and Betty said that he was just apologizing. I think something’s going on, but I don’t know what. Betty won’t say.” Archie gave a small sigh and grabbed some popcorn.

“Well, Chuck is, for lack of a better word, an ass. So I can’t blame her for her actions. Hopefully things will settle down though. We’ve had enough crap as it is, we don’t need Chuck causing more.”

“Yeah.”

The lights turned off in the theater as the movie began.

After the movies, the two began their walk back to Archie’s place.

Jughead dreaded going back because he knew it meant some kind of birthday party. He _knew_ Cheryl was up to something.

Thinking of Cheryl brought his mind back to Jason. He’d been flashing back to him all day. Jughead glanced up at the starry sky that was clear for once. Archie glanced over and wrapped his arm around his waist.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked with a worried expression on his face.

“Yeah… It’s just...” Jughead hesitated. He wasn’t sure if he should say it. Wasn’t sure what Archie would think. He gave a nervous chuckle. “I kinda wish Jason was here.” He looked away.

“Hey, I get it.” Archie kissed him on the cheek. “I do too.”

They were quiet for a few moments.

“Hey, Arch?”

“Yeah?”

“Do… do you think it’s possible to- to fall for someone already gone?”

Archie stopped walking, and Jughead froze. He knew he shouldn’t have said it damn it. Why did he? Then Archie kissed him passionately and all his worries went away. That kiss wasn’t Archie telling him he’s _his_ and no one else’s. That was Archie saying that he understands.

“Yes. It is.” Archie said breathlessly as the pulled apart. “Because I have. Just like you.” They smile widely and Jughead pulled him in for another kiss.

They made it back okay in one piece and Archie got his keys out.

“SURPRISE!”

Yup. Yup. Jughead saw it coming.

But it _was_ just their group. Him, Archie, Cheryl, Betty, Veronica, Kevin, Reggie and Ethel. So… maybe it won’t be that bad. At least his dad isn’t here.

“Okay, before you say anything, I _know_ you didn’t want a party. We all agreed that it won’t be for very long. An hour at the most. And there’s cake.” Cheryl said with a large smile and nodded towards the kitchen.

“What kind?” Jughead asked immediately.

“Your favourite!”

Jughead remained quiet and neutral for a good thirty seconds.

“One hour. No more than that. If you stay longer, you owe me an extra gift.” He was only half joking.

“Deal.” Archie said, and the party began.

It wasn’t _that bad_ if Jughead were being honest. It was pretty quiet for the most part. For the first half hour, the gang had a contest to see who was the better Mario Cart racer. Which Jughead and Ethel _tied_ surprisingly.

Then the doorbell rang.

They all looked at each other.

“Anyone else coming?” Jughead asked as they headed downstairs.

“No, there shouldn’t be. It should just be us.” Cheryl said.

Ethel went over to the window and peeked out.

“It’s Chuck and Moose.” she sighed. “They are waving items that represent white flags around.”

Everyone sighed. Archie had said that it wasn’t that big a scene at lunch. But while Kevin usually embellishes, Archie can sometimes- and it’s like a _really bad_ superpower- really downplay what actually happened. So, what really happened at lunch then?

So, Jughead looked over at Betty who was digging her nails into her palms, and she was glaring at the door as if _it_ had been the one to insult her. Guess Archie unknowingly downplayed the daily lunch time event. Maybe it didn’t seem that bad from where he was. Jughead wasn’t there so how would he really know for sure unless he asked?

“Okay, can I just ask, what _really_ happened at lunch?” Before Kevin and Archie could say something, Jughead stopped them. “I know, you guys told me. I just wanna hear from Betty if that’s okay with her.” The other two boys both looked only a _little_ upset by that. But they nodded.

Betty sighed. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s fine. I um, just got a little angry is all. Let’s just see what they want. Then slam the door in their faces.”

“Okay.” Jughead said. He and Archie opened the door.

Everyone was quiet for a solid minute.

“I’m _just_ here to apologize okay? For all the crap I pulled.” Chuck finally said. Jughead and Archie glanced at each other. “Are we cool?”

“We don’t exactly _hate_ you or anything, but we’re not acquaintances. We’re just… people that don’t hate each other. That’s it.” Jughead said with a shrug.

Chuck sighed. “Fine. I can live with that.” They stood there awkwardly for a few seconds. Cheryl scoffed behind them and practically shoved Archie to the side. He nearly tripped over a plant, but Reggie and Ethel caught him.

“Oh my god, you have the combined intellect of a potato!” she said loudly. Chuck and Moose just frowned at her. “ _Shoo_ bitches!”

The two boys just rolled their eyes and left. Cheryl sighed and rolled her own eyes and looked over at Archie. “Sorry.”

“It’s uh, it’s fine.” Archie stammered.

“Anyway, back to the party, shall we?” Cheryl smiled and closed the door. “I believe it’s time for cake and presents!”

They made their way over to the living room where the presents were and sat down.

“Okay, Presents or cake first?” Cheryl asked.

“Cheryl, please. Save the best for last.” Jughead smirked as he sat in the arm chair.

Finally, it was time for cake. Archie turned off most of the lights, the only light being the ones outside. Cheryl came out from the kitchen carrying the lit cake.

“ _Happy birthday to you.”_ Cheryl was the only one singing for some reason. “ _Happy birthday to you._ ” Wow. No wonder everyone sings it as a group instead. It’s super creepy this way. “ _Happy birthday dear Jughead. Happy birthday to you!_ ”

“That was _haunting_ Cheryl. Seriously. I didn’t think that song could ever be so… creepy.”

“Shut up and make a wish you dick.”

Jughead snorted.

He knew it was kind of a lost cause but…

_I wish Jason were here._

He blew out the candles, and only one remained.

“Well, that works out for you guys Juggie has an _official_ boyfriend.” Cheryl smirked.

“We’ve been official for weeks. But, I would be personally offended if you blew out all the candles in one blow.” Archie said and kissed Jughead on the cheek.

“So, you’re _not_ upset that that _other_ candle is still like, a quarter lit?” Jughead asked pointing to the one beside the lit one. A _tiny_ flame flickered on the wick still. Archie stared at it.

“Huh. Wonder what that means. But mine is still fully lit, so you know, winner by default?”

“Dork.”

Jughead blew out the last two candles.

Later that evening after everyone left, Jughead huddled up next to Archie on his bed. They had played video games for the rest of the evening, and watched a couple of movies. Archie leaned over and kissed him.

“I’ll admit it. That wasn’t that bad.” Jughead smiled.

“Wait, are you saying my other kisses are bad?”

“The _party_ , Archie. The party. Don’t have an existential crisis, your kisses are fine.”

“Just fine?”

“Archie!”

“Okay! Okay! So, what’d you wish for?” Archie asked as they started getting ready for bed, both taking off their shirts first. Jughead rolled his eyes. “Come on, don’t be like that Juggie.”

But before he could say anything, someone quickly climbed through the window and closed as they did. They came in panting alarmingly hard. It was dark so they couldn’t see who it was right away. But Jughead didn’t need to see in order to know who it was. Archie turned on the nearest lamp. Jughead knew instantly the moment the spoke.

“F-Forsythe? _Wow_ …”

They were clearly staring at him. _Oh yeah. I’m shirtless. LIKE THAT’S IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW DUMBASS!_ Jughead briefly shook his head to clear it.

“JASON?!”

Jason’s eyes moved away from Jughead’s torso, over to Archie who’d spoken.

“Ar…chie…” Jason’s legs finally gave way, and Jughead ran over to catch him before he hit the floor. Jason had passed out almost immediately, and was still breathing pretty hard. Jughead cradled Jason in his arms and stared up at Archie who was staring wide-eyed back.

“Jason Blossom’s _not dead_.”

They heard the front door open and close.

“Uh, my dad, he can help!” Archie said and quickly put on his shirt that he’d disregarded earlier. “Stay with him. I’ll be back.” He went downstairs, leaving the door open behind him. Jughead strained to hear the conversation.

“Dad! You-” It was quiet for a few seconds. “MOM?”

Well.

SHIT!

“Oh, Archie you’re still up. We’re home.” Fred said. Jughead could practically _hear_ the smile on his face.

“Hi honey.” It’d been a long time since Jughead had heard Archie’s mother speak.

Archie may have a way with words when it came to music. Speaking? Not so much. He clearly said the first thing that came to mind as Jughead and carefully lifted Jason up and placed him on the bed and put on his own shirt.

“Now is SO _not_ the time!”

* * *

 

Whether you believe in order or chaos, in the end, it’s the same. We are either in control of our lives, or merely think we are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ONLY THREE LEFT GUYS! THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!


	12. Recap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a recap of the important events. :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like it was time for one of these.  
> I hope this isn't too confusing... sorry if it is!  
> I think I got all of the important ones. lol

Previously on Shot in the Dark…

 

 

**Betty and Polly**

_“The Blue and Gold isn’t dead Juggie, it’s just… dormant. But it’s waking up.”_

_“Oh- Juggie. Jason’s death changed Riverdale. People don’t wanna admit that, but, it’s true. We all feel it. Nothing this bad was ever supposed to happen here, but it did. I wanna know why.”_

_“Ooh, Cheryl’s mom just punched Betty’s!”_

_“Stop looking. There’s more where this came from.”_

_“The Sisters of Quiet Mercy.”_

_“Home for troubled youth. Where disenfranchised teens will learn such virtues as discipline, and respect. Enjoying lives of quiet reflection, and servitude.”_

_“Jason was in love with Jughead?”_

_“I started seeing it when we were thirteen. And I’m not sure what Jason and Polly’s relationship was. I just always thought that maybe he liked her too. But I don’t know for sure. He never said anything about it.”_

_“Thanks. I’m so happy, you all found us!”_

_“Polly, you’re- you’re…”_

_“With Jason’s?”_

_“Oh god, I’m gonna be an aunt!”_

_“I’m gonna get you out of here Polly. I promise.”_

_“When we were with Polly she’d mention a car parked on the lost highway near some sign. If we can find it, then we can confirm her story.”_

_“Then she won’t be written off as crazy. Oh my god Jughead!”_

_“If Polly would have wanted to leave Riverdale without anyone seeing her, she would have left through-”_

_“Right here. Eversgreen Forest.”_

_“I told you to stop looking. Just be glad it isn’t Polly.”_

_“It’s not Polly’s hand writing. It’s someone else.”_

_“That was the last day you saw him?”_

_“At Pop’s. When he told me the plan. That he was going to fake his own death, and that we would meet up. But before that could happen, my mom and dad sent me away.”_

_“He needed- we needed money. To get away, and start over.”_

_“So, Riverdale’s star football player becomes a drug mule?”_

_“He went to a bar on the other side of the tracks, and made a deal with some biker gang.”_

_“The Serpents?”_

_“He got an address. Upstate. Where he was supposed to deliver the drugs, in exchange for cash.”_

_“The drugs you found in Jason’s car.”_

_“Went up in flames.”_

_“Along with everything I had left of Jason. Including the ring his nana gave me. Which he was keeping, until…”_

_“Did… did you know about Jason’s feelings for Jughead?”_

_“Yes. I didn’t have it in me to be angry at him. But we agreed to break up. Then I found out I was pregnant. He was scared, but he also seemed to be happy at the same time. Then we made the plans to run away together. We weren’t actually going to get married, but we were going to fake it. He loved Jughead, but he didn’t want to leave the baby. So that was our arrangement. A fake marriage. That’s it.”_

_“What if my mom and I were to host a baby shower?”_

_“Get Polly and your parents in the same room in a public setting where they can’t fight, and viola. Let the healing begin.”_

_“Jason told me. About the book. All he had was me and Cheryl. He wasn’t cruel. Not on the inside.”_

_“Betty, I’ve decided, I want you to be the baby’s godmother.”_

_“What is it? Is my baby okay?”_

_“Babies. It’s twins!”_

_“I would like you to come live at Thornhill.”_

_“My invitation is genuine Cheryl. The child would want for nothing. You would want for nothing.”_

_“Do you think you can just waltz in here with a bedbug infested Trojan horse, wave a blank check around and steal my daughter?”_

_“I didn’t think you wanted her.”_

_“THIS IS WHY JASON IS DEAD.”_

_“You want me to come home?”_

_“More than anything honey.”_

_“Yeah but what about dad?”_

_“Before you sent me away dad made an appointment for me to see a doctor. Said that he’d be more than happy to pay for it. That I shouldn’t have to live with my mistake.”_

_“I can’t believe mom kicked dad out.”_

_“Polly, we’re so glad you’re here. You’ll be safe with us.”_

_“We promise, we won’t let anything happen to either of you.”_

_“I know. I trust you. Not them.”_

_“She didn’t choose the Blossom’s over you guys, she’s there to spy on them. She thinks they may have had something to do with Jason’s death. Which, frankly, I agree.”_

**Cheryl**

_“I told you, Cheryl. No more sleeping in Jason's bed.”_

_“I... I was working on the eulogy. For Jay-Jay.”_

_“Don't bother. You won't be speaking at his memorial. God knows what you'd say. Something to humiliate us? No.”_

_“Look, I don't want to be locked in a catfight-to-the-death with you. That only ends in one way. Mutual annihilation.”_

_“Agreed.”_

_“So, can't we just... Be friends? Or, at least, frenemies?”_

_“If you really want to extend an olive branch, come to a sleepover I'm having.”_

_“God Cheryl, all those jokes you made about him being homeless… and it’s true.”_

_“I’m only here to ask you of one thing, and that is to come live with me.”_

_“Everything with Jason's been so... Public. Everyone has an opinion”_

_“Then do it. I'll help you. And let Penelope and Clifford Blossom do their worst.”_

_“Oh, they will. They'll kill me.”_

_“Face facts Cooper. She was in the home, she escaped, she set the car on fire, and she killed Jason.”_

_“We don’t know that mother! And she wouldn’t have killed Jason. She loved him.”_

_“She’s escaped from the asylum once. Who’s to say she didn’t do it before?”_

_“Polly is not the bad guy here. Got it? We are not hurting her.”_

_“What is the meaning of this?”_

_“You’re not supposed to be back here.”_

_“Neither is Jughead. Why is he here?”_

_“He’s here under suspicious circumstances. We have reason to believe he might have been at the river the week Jason was murdered.”_

_“This week, is the official start of maple syrup season! Every year we host a tree tapping ceremony. It’s been a Blossom tradition since the beginning. I would like you two to be there. It’s very exclusive, family and inner circle only.”_

_“Polly is an honorary member Because of Jason’s baby.”_

_“Jughead is my brother!”_

_“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, have they found the person that uploaded that recording of your phone call?”_

_“No. They haven’t. They still don’t have any leads.”_

_“What about the person you were talking to? It kind of sounded like you were rejecting them. Maybe they hold grudges or something?”_

_“Maybe. I didn’t exactly know them as well as I thought. It’s not like I can ask them directly though.”_

_“Yeah I guess. They’d probably deny it if you did. Maybe get a hold of their phone, or whatever computer they use.”_

_“The three of us could come up with some kind of plan.”_

_“Hey, you’ll do fine. You’ve seen Jason do it for six years. You have it memorized. You’ll be fine.”_

_“So, who are all of these people?”_

_“Entre nous? They’re daddy’s board of trustees. They smell blood in the water. That’s why they’re here. They’re worried dad’s losing his grip on the company. And they’re looking for a way to take it away from us.”_

_“They can do that?”_

_“If they all vote together they can. When Jason died, it was a PR debacle. And now, here’s Polly, pregnant and unwed. It’s no wonder they’ve descended upon us like some biblical plague.”_

_“If there’s one thing that I’ve learned while being in Cheryl’s class, and her friend, it’s don’t underestimate her. And don’t bet against her.”_

_“People need to know the girl we know. The one that’s actually willing to help others. One that has a fierce fire that no one can extinguish.”_

_“Which house is it?”_

_“The one with the light blue bug pulling out of the driveway.”_

_“Take a picture of anything that looks suspicious. We can sort through them later.”_

**_Archie: Got her laptop._ **

**_Cheryl: Got her phone._ **

**_King: Found a drawer full of phones. Grabbing them too._ **

_“The liars. They wanted me to fail so they could steal the company.”_

_“Hey, we’re not going to let that happen.”_

_“Hey did you find anything on Grundy’s electronics?”_

_“Yeah, a lot. We can meet up tomorrow at Archie’s. Betty and her mom are meeting us there for a Blue and Gold meeting. Along with Kevin and Reggie.”_

_“That he wanted to help my dad. I didn’t know how to answer without it backfiring on us, so I didn’t say anything. But he kept talking. Explaining why he wants to help. He said that the board was interested in offering me a job. I didn’t know how to say no, but I didn’t say yes. I want my dad to be okay, but not if the help is from Cliff and Penelope.”_

_“Yeah they’re still trying to take the drive-in land. Going after you and your dad is the only way they know how to do it.”_

_“I can’t believe them. We have to find out who the original buyer is and stop this somehow.”_

_“We did some digging and I found out that Ms Grundy, isn’t Ms. Grundy. Her name is supposedly Jennifer Gibson. The real Ms. Grundy, passed away. There is no information on her until last year. She has a gun for some reason, and multiple cell phones. She must have other ID’s then, that go with those phones.”_

_“I can’t believe I forgot.”_

_“Gibson was hired as Jason’s music teacher.”_

_“The Lodge’s and Blossom’s both want that land. Both want it for their companies.”_

_“What better way to screw over a kingdom, then to get rid of the next heir to the throne?”_

_“And to do that, it’s good to have someone on the inside. How’d your parents know about Gibson?”_

_“I don’t know.”_

**Veronica**

_“What’s wrong, Archie, besides the fact that you have no integrity whatsoever, is that your father kissed my mother.”_

_“Oh, it’s just Betty. She found Polly at her place, and she’s gonna stay with Veronica.”_

_“Sheriff Keller told us everything. How you’re hiding Polly at Pembrooke?”_

_“Better than an insane asylum.”_

_“Actually, Mrs. Cooper, that’s on me. I was the one that suggested Polly stay with us.”_

_“She’s trying to help. Unlike you and dad who want Polly to put her baby up for adoption.”_

_“Betty, it’s what’s best for Polly. And the baby.”_

_“Mom, that’s not your choice. Your choice is whether or not you want to be a part of Polly’s life.”_

_“What if they ask about what he did? Embezzling all of that money? Am I gonna have to lie?”_

_“Baby, I have just made a mess of things. Your father found out about Fred and me. Someone went to him before I got a chance to say anything-”_

_“Maybe it’s time you tell Mr. Andrews the truth.”_

_“And risk having him walk off the project? We bet everything we have on the SoDale construction.”_

_“They put me in a wooden box, as I desperately opposed. But all my screaming was for naught, my mouth had been sewn closed. Curled up in bed was just a girl, needing daddy’s arm to hold her.”_

_“My mom and dad are fighting, but, they won’t tell me about what. It’s like there’s this, really bad thing that’s happening, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”_

_“If you’re free tomorrow, come over for lunch. We can hang out, do whatever, and in the evening, I know this great club-”_

_“A club? Veronica, we’re underage. And we’d be two girls alone in a club.”_

_“I have my ways. And we won’t be alone. Josie will be there, and Reggie and Kevin too. It’ll be a group outing!”_

_“I think my dad had some bad luck with our savings. Now my mom says that we’re gonna have to sell the house. My dad is just so- crushed. I wish there was something I could do to help him.”_

_“Her father, Manfred Muggs, invested with your dad. And it’s probable, that they lost a lot when your father got arrested. Maybe everything.”_

_“Mom their being kicked out of their house. Their home!”_

_“From what I’ve been told, the Muggs family is gonna testify against your father.”_

_“They should. How many, mom? How many families like Ethel’s?”_

_“It’s the risk of doing business with your father.”_

_“Remember when you went swooping in to save Ethel because you thought she might be suicidal?”_

_“Oh no. She- she didn’t-”_

_“No. Her dad did.”_

_“What’s with this Hermione and Hiram? We’re your parents Veronica.”_

_“Not anymore.”_

_“Wh- These- these- are-”_

_“Adoption papers. Yes.”_

_“I no longer want to be a part of this- family. I’m leaving. Since I’m only sixteen, I can’t live on my own. But instead of a home I’ve reached out. It’s all taken care of, you just have to sign the last page at the bottom.”_

_“Who’s adopting you?”_

_“I asked if they could remain anonymous. They can.”_

_“If you want to fix things, Hermione, start by helping people instead of hurting them. If you want to do that great. But I’m not gonna help you. You took everything from me just like everyone else. You even stole my name. But that’s fine. I’m letting it go. And you’re going to let me go.”_

_“I used to be Veronica Lodge.”_

_“‘Used to be’, what do you mean?”_

_“Veronica McCoy?”_

_“As of yesterday, Veronica Lodge is dead. Lodge Industries has hurt too many people. Trust me when I say this. Hermione and Hiram Lodge are going to get what’s coming for them.”_

**Kevin**

_“I’m not- entirely sure what to say at the moment, but… uh, I know that this was traumatizing. But we might not have found him in time if you hadn’t.”_

_“Yeah. Sheer luck. With the way my life’s going though I’m not as surprised as I probably should be. You know, finding bodies is a really weird and random thing to have in common.”_

_“You and him? I mean, no offense, but isn’t he a little out of your league?”_

_“I… told him that he should be with girls. But that doesn’t prove any-”_

_“Yes it does. You subconsciously knew it yourself that he is out of your league.”_

_“I’m Joaquin by the way.”_

_“Oh my god. I knew it. I knew something was wrong when he didn’t show up today.”_

_“I’m just… worried. Which I think is kind of stupid, because we aren’t even friends. We’re not even acquaintances.”_

_“It’s not stupid to be worried about someone Kevin. Even if you weren’t friends. That just means you care despite that.”_

_“Yeah… it’s just, he bullies me every chance he gets.”_

_“Maybe, he wasn’t trying to bully you.”_

_“What?”_

_“I mean, like, what if that’s not what he was trying to do? What if he was just trying to get your attention?”_

_“You’re not suggesting what I think you’re suggesting. Come on, man. It’s Reggie. He does one week relationships, and one night stands.”_

_“Yeah, so maybe he wants you or something. I don’t know Reggie that well. Just that occasionally he’s a bit of a jerk. He verbally bullies me, but definitely not as often as he does you. I’m just saying that it could be one reason why he does it. Maybe he doesn’t even know he’s doing it.”_

_“I forgot my phone out there. I’ll be right back.”_

_“I’ll come with.”_

_“Kevin who did this to you?”_

_“I don’t know, but they said that if we keep working they’ll keep coming back.”_

_“What the hell happened?”_

_“These two caught a couple of guys taking out the equipment with crowbars. They dropped bomb on them. Said that if we continue working they’ll keep coming back.”_

_“I’ve got a b- uh, friend, I that knows some people. He can find out if the Serpents are related to this or not. Neither of us got a good look at the guys that jumped us, but we can at least find out if they were Snakes or not.”_

_“On, another note, how are you and Reggie doing? I mean, looks like it still hurts.”_

_“I just… I couldn’t help but notice that you two seemed pretty uncomfortable up in front of the class.”_

_“I know saying sorry won’t make up for what happened on Saturday. But I am, so, so sorry Reggie.”_

_After ditching school, they_ _’d spent the afternoon on Kevin’s bed watching movies. He smiled briefly as he remembered how close they were. He wasn’t sure what was happening between them. But he liked it. He was sure that Reggie felt the same way. Jughead might just be right after all._

**Reggie**

_“What was it like Suicide Squad? When you shot Jason? You didn’t do stuff to the body, like, after?”_

_“It’s called Necrophilia Reggie. Can you spell it?”_

_“Come here you little-”_

_“Just shut the hell up Reggie.”_

_“And while I don’t approve of you fighting Reggie, sometimes that’s the only way to get through to someone who’s… well… for lack of a better word, an ass.”_

_“Whoever did this just outed him. I’d never do that.”_

_“You wouldn’t.”_

_“No. We wouldn’t. We swear.”_

_“Reggie’s bi. He gets it. Don’t worry, he’s out already.”_

_“What? If you hadn’t noticed, I’m watching the show.”_

_“Yeah, me too. Look, I’m just- I’m sure you’ve seen the video by now, so I just wanna say congrats. That was cool.”_

_“Oh. Uh, thanks.”_

_“And I’m sorry for heckling Archie at the auditions. He’s actually pretty good.”_

_“Have you guys seen Reggie? He was supposed to meet me to work on our English project, during our spare in second, but he didn’t show.”_

_“No, I haven’t seen him all day. Maybe he’s sick.”_

_“He doesn’t usually get sick… but I guess…”_

_“They mentioned Polly, is it connected to Jason? Or did they just mention her because everyone’s been talking about her?”_

_“You tell me.”_

_“Did they say if he remembers anything?”_

_“No, they didn’t. But if what happened to him is anything like what happened to me, then he probably won’t remember.”_

_“Hey pal, how are you doing?”_

_“Tired mostly. A bit sore, but they drugged me up pretty good. And I think I got sunburned, was I outside?”_

_“You were tied up to a tree and left out in the rain overnight, and all day until we found you. Do you remember anything?”_

_“No. The last thing I remember is I was walking to my car, then I woke up here. Do they at least have any leads on who’s doing this?”_

_“We think it might be connected to Jason’s case. You had a target painted on your forehead.”_

_“When we found you, many of us received a text. Including me. From your phone. But the thing is, I never gave you my number. And it’s not in the phone book.”_

_“And I for sure didn’t get it from anyone else.”_

_“Everyone keeps looking at me weirdly. They keep asking me about what happened, but I don’t know anything. I can’t remember.”_

_“My parents are watching me like a hawk. I can’t do anything aside from go to school, and football practice. I can’t even do football yet because Coach Clayton said to wait until I’m one hundred percent better. I feel like I might go crazy if I don’t go out and do something soon.”_

_“Reggie, hey. Hey. You’re safe. You’re with us. They’re gone. You’re safe.”_

_“No I got hit in the face almost right away and um, Reggie had a panic attack. Hey, can he stay with us for a while?”_

_“I lied about my parents. They’re never there. At home. I don’t even know where they are. They only act like good parents so they won’t get labelled as bad ones. Ever since… Ever since they found Jason’s body I…”_

_“I-I’m scared.”_

_“I don’t wanna be alone anymore.”_

 

**Jughead**

_“Look, just stop. It’s fine. They won’t know. But I can’t love you. I’m sorry, but I can’t. I love him, okay? You know that. I love him. I’m in love with him.”_

_“That’s when I figured out that… he- he was in love with you.”_

_“Jason… was… in love with… me.”_

_“Trust me, I get it. I hated my dad for the longest time. Until one day, I realized that, hating them isn’t worth it. It just makes you angry.”_

_“The guy that… Archie is in love with. Is it me?”_

_“Yes. Jughead, Archie is in love with you.”_

_“I’m gonna go for it.”_

_“I will not have this swine living in my house! In Jason’s room! He would be horrified. Disgusted. And violated-”_

_“I said watch your damn mouth! I won’t have you disrespect my son like that.”_

_“We’ll work out some negotiations.”_

_“What, jealous?”_

_“What? No, why would I be?”_

_“You sure? Could have sworn I saw it when we talked about Jason.”_

_“I’m not jealous of him.”_

_“Relax, I’m just kidding.”_

_“I know this probably isn’t the best time, but my dad said he’d give yours a second chance. All he has to do is take it.”_

_“It won’t be that easy.”_

_“Talk to him Juggie. Maybe he’ll come around.”_

_“The prodigal son returns.”_

_“I came by to ask If you would consider going back to work with Fred Andrews.”_

_“Yeah, he called me. I said no. He fired me, Jughead. What kind of man would I be if I went back, hat in hand?”_

_“For starters? A man with a job, trying to fix his family.”_

_“Talk to your mom. She's the one who gave up on us, took your sister.”_

_“Is this not you getting into a 1970 Chevy, parked outside of Pop’s and driving it towards the river?”_

_“That’s not me. By then I had found a job at the Twilight. I wasn’t even at Pop’s, I was working. I don’t even have a license, I don’t own a truck. And even if I did have a license, I’d never go for a truck.”_

_“Jughead was working for me that week. Asked him to help remove some dry wall.”_

_“And can you provide me with documents proving that statement?”_

_“I have to check my time cards, but yes.”_

_“She did a Tarot card reading on my future. Apparently I’m gonna have a threesome at the same time at some point, despite me being asexual.”_

_“Anyway, I have decided that I want Jughead to be the godfather.”_

_“Why didn’t you tell me?”_

_“I was ashamed, Archie. I didn’t wanna lose you.”_

_“You’re not gonna lose me. Never.”_

_“Why do you hate your birthday?”_

_“PTSD from when I was a kid? I don’t know. Things were always messed up at home. Usually because of my dad, and there was this, arbitrary day… That we would just get together, and pretend things were great, we were normal. Just… made me feel really lonely.”_

_“Hey, you okay?”_

_“I kinda wish Jason was here.”_

_“I do too.”_

_“Do… do you think it’s possible to- to fall for someone already gone?”_

_“Yes. It is. Because I have. Just like you.”_

_“SURPRISE!”_

_“Okay, before you say anything, I know you didn’t want a party. We all agreed that it won’t be for very long. An hour at the most. And there’s cake.”_

_“I’m just here to apologize okay? For all the crap I pulled.”_

_“We don’t exactly hate you or anything, but we’re not acquaintances. We’re just… people that don’t hate each other. That’s it.”_

_He knew it was kind of a lost cause but_ _…_

_‘I wish Jason were here.’_

_“So, what’d you wish for?”_

_“JASON?!”_

_“Jason Blossom’s not dead.”_

**Archie**

_“I won’t ever be good enough for you. I just… I can’t seem to live up to expectations. I- I won’t ever be good enough for you, for Jughead or for anyone because I keep screwing up. Somehow I always end up screwing up every good thing in my life. No matter how hard I try to avoid it. It just seems like every single decision I make is wrong. I hurt Jughead, you, Veronica, I even hurt my dad by lying to him! I’m not good enough for anyone! I just… I just want it to stop. I want it to stop but it won’t. It won’t stop. I don’t seem to be in control of my life anymore. And I don’t know what to do anymore. I just… I don’t know… But I-I know I don’t deserve any of you as friends. I don’t deserve anyone as friends. I’d just hurt them. So I understand if- if none of you ever want to speak to me again.”_

_“Is- is this- are your feelings real, is any of it?”_

_“Yes. It is.”_

_“I’m sorry… But I can’t.”_

_“I know. I just… I don’t know. It’s like- when I see her in the halls, and helping students, I just see her as normal. Like she’s a normal person that doesn’t deserve to get fired. And she wasn’t cruel or anything when we… were… But she’s acting really weird now. Like she’s super paranoid or something.”_

_“Or a super psycho! Look, dude. She took away like, all of your firsts dude. First kiss, first date, first relationship, first… sex… time… thing. Ugh, look. It doesn’t matter if she was nice or not. Something snapped, and she’s not like that now. You’ve gotta try and reprogram your brain man. She’s not who everyone thinks she is.”_

_“I know. I’m trying, but it’s hard.”_

_“I can help. Like maybe if I see you looking at her I’ll pinch you really hard or something.”_

_“Have you guys seen Archie?”_

_“Someone uploaded a recording of Archie talking to someone on Twitter. The Riverdale gossip page? It was an anonymous account.”_

_“Who shot and uploaded the video?”_

_“Who hurt Archie?”_

_“They won’t stop.”_

_“The bad feelings?”_

_“The mistakes.”_

_“Like- a date, date? A-as in-”_

_“More than friends. Yes.”_

_“Yes. Oh my god, Jughead, yes!”_

_“I keep trying to remember what happened to me, but I can’t. I get these flashes of images but they come and go too fast for me to actually see anything. The last thing I remember from that night was walking home, then waking up in the hospital. The space in between that is just blank.”_

_“Cliff Blossom made my crew an offer they couldn’t refuse, so they walked. Every last one of them.”_

_“It’s the business. It’s in trouble, Archie.”_

_“Kevin’s friend found some stuff out. The guys that beat up Reggie and Kevin weren’t from here. The buyer paid them to do that. He also found out that a Serpent knew who they were. Some old friends or something. So me, Reggie and Kevin went to meet up with his friend so he could tell us. And guess who was there in the middle of the group smoking with the rest of them?”_

_“Archie was just telling us how he’s going to some super-exclusive music program this summer.”_

_“Mrs. Blossom came by earlier and said that she’d put a good word in for me.”_

_“Are you sure you should accept anything from Penelope Blossom? Or Cliff?”_

_“She’s not wrong. My parents can screw over anyone they want. This could be a plot to get at the drive-in land.”_

_“Whoever sent those thugs out to beat the equipment wasn’t from here. They were from Montreal.”_

_“Oh my god. I think I know who the buyer is.”_

_“Hiram Lodge.”_

_“My parents are getting the divorce finalized. That’s why my dad’s leaving.”_

_“I just wish…it wasn’t so… final.”_

_“Time will go on. Your mother will move on, your dad will move on. You’ll try to move on, and hopefully you will. Eventually, things will settle in place.”_

_“Dad! You- MOM?”_

_“Hi honey.”_

_“Now is SO not the time!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter should be up Monday like usual. :D


	13. Until This Days Sometimes I Cry (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Triggers! Self-doubt, self-hate. Slight homophobia mention. There's a slap at some point. That's it I think...
> 
> Hey you know how earlier I said that I WOULDN'T do more than three POV's in a chapter?
> 
> I lied apparently.
> 
> Here's FOUR.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Runs Around Screaming Like a Maniac*
> 
> ONE EPISODE LEFT! ONE EPISODE LEFT! ONE EPISODE LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEFFT!
> 
> I honestly don't know if I should be happy or sad...  
> But we get a SEASON TWO! YAY!

People like to say, that the death of Jason Blossom changed everything at Riverdale High. But

certain things, certain traditions, never change.

Take homecoming for instance.

Though Jason's jersey had been retired, the Riverdale Bulldogs would still be playing their arch-rivals, the Baxter High Ravens, with the River Vixens cheering them on.

Previous years, graduates from days of Riverdale past will come to town, to relive they're more youthful, more carefree days.

Or, to make up for lost time.

But those returnees won't be the only ones making up for lost time.

* * *

 

Archie's parents just stared at him. Crap.

"Uh," he backtracked, "I mean hi! Hey! Good to see you..." Archie trailed off as he gave his mother a quick hug. She sighed.

"But..." she said slowly.

"Now... is kind of not the time?" Archie frowned sheepishly. He loves his mother. He does... but seriously.

"Why did you break something?" Fred asked. Archie sighed.

"No, I didn't. Just..." How the hell was he supposed to explain _this_?

JASON BLOSSOM WAS BACK FROM THE DEAD!!

"It's hard to explain?"

"Archie, what's going on?" Fred asked, impatiently.

"Honey you can tell us anything." Mary said calmly.

Archie hesitated as he looked back and forth between his parents. Then he sighed. There were no other words.

"Jason Blossom is back."

"What?"

"He's _back_. He's _alive_. He- come on." Archie sighed and started walking up the stairs. He had to show them for them to understand. They weren't going to otherwise. He paused when he realized that they weren't following him. He looked back to see them looking at him with disbelief.

F***k.

"You _honestly_ think I'd _lie_ about something like this? He just climbed through my window a few minutes before you got here!"

"Archie-" Fred started, but Mary interrupted.

"Honey, how about we just calm down and talk? I understand that me coming home out of the blue is a lot to take in. You're probably just projecting your feelings. But if we-"

"I'm _not_! He's _back_! I-" Archie let out a frustrated sigh and went up to his room.

"That went well." Jughead said as Archie closed the door and leaned his head against it. Archie sighed again and turned to face his boyfriend.

"Did I overreact?"

"Hey." Jughead said gently. He walked over to Archie and hugged him tightly. "I probably would have done the same thing. You didn't do anything wrong. I don't think anyone would know how to react in a situation like this. Even me."

"You're doing much better than I am. I almost lost it." Archie sighed, _again_. "Juggie what are we going to do? Jason's _back_ from the dead. And he doesn't look great." Archie realized that he hadn't taken in Jason's appearance. He really _didn't_ look good. He looked... sick. Where the hell was he if he wasn't dead? He was frighteningly pale, and had a few bruises and cuts, and Jughead had wrapped up his right forearm up in a bandage- there was a pretty big cut on it from- _something_. Jughead was just tending to the smaller more minor cuts on his face when Archie walked in. Seriously, where the hell had Jason been for the past few months?

"I don't know. He needs a doctor though. I already texted Cheryl and Polly, but maybe Cheryl can get her private doctor to come. She can probably pay him to keep quiet about this."

"Yeah. We probably shouldn't tell Cheryl and Jason's parents about this. I don't want Jason under their control again. It's not safe for him."

"I know, me too. Hey maybe-"

_Knock, knock, knock._

Ugh.

Archie sighed and Jughead quickly kissed him on the cheek. They pulled apart as the door opened.

"Hey," Fred started, "we just..." he trailed off as he and Mary stared wide-eyed at the bed. "Oh."

"Shit." All three males turned to stare at Mary who quickly covered her mouth. "Ooh, sorry. Oh, honey I'm so sorry we didn't believe you!" Mary pulled her son into a tight hug.

"Okay," Fred said calmly, "tell us exactly what happened?"

"We were just getting ready for bed when Jason climbed through the window. He was extremely out of breath and he just passed out. He recognized us though, he said our names." Archie said.

"I texted Cheryl and Polly, they're on their way with Cheryl's private doctor. They didn't tell the Blossom's yet though. We probably shouldn't tell them until we figure out what to do." Jughead said as he sat down next to Jason on the bed.

"That's probably a good idea. I don't trust the Blossom's, and I don't want Jason going back to that life style." said Fred, staring worriedly at Jason. "He can stay here. If someone knows he's alive, they won't think to look here for him. It's the safest place for him for now. I'll go call Sheriff Keller." He glanced at them, and went downstairs to make the call.

"Oh god." Mary sighed as she walked over to Jason. "His parents did this to him. Your father, caught me up on what's happened so far." She closed her eyes tightly. Archie swallowed. "The things that were done to... to you kids, I..." Mary let out a small sob and Archie went over to hug her.

"Mom..."

"I just... I don't..." Mary began to sob. "I can't lose you."

"You won't. You won't lose any of us."

They stayed like that for a while, until Mary calmed down.

"Alright." she said after a while. "I've decided to stay." Archie stared at her.

"Wh- really?"

"Yes. Honey, that's the reason I'm back. We're back together! I transferred here to Riverdale, just after your father visited me. And Jason will need someone to take care of him. Someone that's not Clifford and Penelope Blossom. A sweet boy like him doesn't deserve parents like _them_."

***

Cheryl and Polly sat on Cheryl's bed as they watched Netflix. Cheryl's phone buzzed.

**King: Come to Archie's. Now. Bring Polly. Emergency. Bring your doctor. DON'T tell your parents. Hurry.**

"Shit. Polly, we gotta go."

"What? What's wrong?"

"I don't know but Jughead says it's an emergency and we need to bring the family doctor. You get ready while I'll get her."

"Okay. Wait, what about your parents?"

"He says to not tell them. It's fine, they're out anyway. Come on!"

After a few minutes, Dr. Young met them outside. They drove into town and arrived at the Andrews' residence. Another car was there already.

"What's the Sheriff doing here?" Polly asked, already pale.

"I don't know." Cheryl mumbled. She knocked on the door and Fred answered.

"Hi, great, come in. You didn't tell your parents?" he asked.

"No. But what's going on?"

Fred sighed and Cheryl held her breath.

"Nothing in the world can prepare you for what you're about to see."

Cheryl and Polly numbly followed him up the stairs towards Archie's room. Inside, Archie and Jughead turned out to be alright- even Mary- Archie's mom. It was the person on the bed.

"Jason..." Cheryl breathed, her voice not even a whisper.

"Oh god..." Polly began to sob beside her.

Sheriff Keller had started talking, but Cheryl didn't hear him. She slowly walked over to the bed. Her hand hovered over his forehead. She briefly touched his hairline, and retracted her hand like it was burned.

He was there. It was him.

Jason was _alive_.

He wasn't dead.

"I..." Cheryl stammered, "I don't understand. He... We _buried_ him. He should be _dead_! I don't understand! I don't..." Cheryl's words merged into sobs as Jughead pulled her in for a hug. She doesn't know how long she cried for. After a while her sobs lessened, and her breathing became even. She looked up finally and realized that the others had left, and it was just her, Jughead- and Jason. She pulled away from Jughead and ran a hand through her hair. She glanced at the clock and it was close to one. She didn't care.

"Oh god. He looks horrible." Cheryl brushed some hair out of Jason's face. It was messy, curly, and a little greasy but that was expected. "You know he usually gelled his hair. Almost never saw him without it." Jughead remained quiet. She glanced over at him, and realized that he'd also been crying. "Jughead?" Cheryl reached out and squeezed his hand. Jughead squeezed his eyes shut before answering.

"I..." he swallowed. "I might have... fallen in love with him?" his voice was quiet enough that Cheryl almost didn't hear him.

"Oh Juggie." She didn't really know what else to say to that.

"Archie might have too..."

"What? Really?" That was kind of a shock. "That's great actually! I'm sure Jason could learn to love Archie too! Besides, he hasn't seen his new body yet. That'll be a definite turn on."

Jughead let out an awkward chuckle. "I guess?"

"Hey, I know things will work out eventually. I'm sure you three would be great together. And now, Jason can learn to finally be himself. Like he always wanted."

***

Veronica sighed that evening as she stared at the door of her former home. She looked at her phone.

**Hermione: I know we're not speaking, but I need to tell you something. In person. It can't be over text, or over the phone. Please come by? It's about Hiram.**

She didn't send a reply, but she was here now. At Pembrooke. Dreading what Hermione had to say about Hiram. She was no longer a Lodge; didn't she _get_ that? She doesn't care about them. Not anymore. She sighed once more before knocking on the door.

Smithers answered and smiled.

"Ah, Miss McCoy. Good to see you again."

"Smithers, likewise." Veronica tried for a smile, but it was probably more like a grimace. Oh well. Smithers probably understood. He always does. He nodded, and moved aside to let her in. She walked into the home, and looked around.

She didn't miss it. It just reminded her of who her former parents really were. Horrible. Change is a good thing.

"Hermione is just in the kitchen." Smithers said.

"Oh, thank you." Veronica said quietly. She did miss Smithers though. He's always so kind. Never said anything bad about anyone. The doorman, slash bodyguard at the McCoy's was great, but he wasn't Smithers. Smithers had always been the one she talked to when she needed it. _I guess some changes are only okay, not good._ Veronica held back another sigh as she walked into the kitchen and saw Hermione sitting at the table. The other woman straightened when she saw her.

"I..."she hesitated. "I didn't think you'd come. I'm glad you did."

"I'm here for what you have to say about Hiram."

"Right. Of course. Um, my statement went through. The judge seems to give your fa- uh, Hiram a bit of a break."

Veronica frowned. "How much of a break?"

"Time served. A few more months, if that."

"And then what?" Hermione looked at her. "You think that just because he'll be out of jail and you'll be together again, I'll come back? You still did horrible things to innocent people. And _Hiram_ would be free to do it again, and do it so he doesn't get caught. I'm not going to come _back_ to that Hermione."

"Well, I'm trying-"

"To what? Win me back? _Change_ the way Hiram does things? You and I both know that he doesn't change so easily. I don't even know if he _has_ at _all_. He still drank before he went to jail despite saying he'd quit. He still smoked. He still hurt those families because they made a deal with the devil. And what about his involvement with Jason Blossom?"

"What?"

"He and the Blossom's have that huge feud. Over _land_. Cheryl told me that she overheard her parents talking about how _they_ were the ones to send Hiram to jail. That would give him a motive to-"

"There's no proof! No physical evidence that would make Hiram the main suspect of Jason Blossom's murder. Don't jump to conclusions, it'll just make things worse Veronica."

"More worse than they already are?"

Silence.

"The Blossom's may have lost Jason over this dumb feud. You two lost _me_ over it. You want to make things _right,_ Hermione? Fight. Fight for me, fight for Jason. Fight for Polly and Betty. This three-way fight has got to _end_ if any of you want to see your kids again. Hiram being _let out_ of jail will not end it. It will make things _worse._ He will make sure of that. You know it. We're done here."

"Veronica."

Veronica left and didn't look back.

***

"Hey Reg?" Kevin asked. The two were currently lying on Kevin's bed watching Netflix. Although Reggie hadn't really been paying attention to what was on Kevin's laptop. He was kind of focused on the fact that Kevin was using his shoulder as a pillow. And the fact that Kevin's right hand was playing with his left hand. Not to mention that there was like, no space between them whatsoever. Reggie swallowed. "Reggie?" Oh yeah. He should answer him.

"Uh, yeah?" He hoped he didn't sound... what, nervous? Just weird? But Kevin didn't say anything about that.

"Do you..." Kevin hesitated. "Do you have any plans for homecoming?"

Homecoming. Right. That was just around the corner. Over the past few months Reggie had actually forgotten about it this year. No one can blame him though. Not after what had happened. He'd always thought that homecoming was kind of dumb anyway. It was just a stupid popularity contest. Sure, the dance was usually fun, but in the end, that's all it was. A popularity contest with a dance. So, at this point, he had no plans. Well, that was kind of a lie.

He'd kind of been hoping to hang out with Kevin. Though he hasn't exactly been brave enough to say that. Yes, okay. They've hung out. They're hanging out _right now_ , in fact, and it's just the two of them. Kevin's dad was working a night shift. They had come back after Jughead's party and decided to just sit and watch Netflix. But Kevin was always the one to initiate anything. Reggie doesn't even know _why_ he does at all. Why he cared. He could be hanging out with Betty or Veronica, it was late but none of them really cared. Basically- Reggie was confused.

Mainly because Reggie had always been a bit of a dick towards Kevin. And his friends. Reggie didn't deserve... whatever the hell this was. What were they even _doing_? Just bonding? As friends? People that were just _friends_ usually didn't sit _this_ close, or use each other as pillows.

Or hold hands. Not for that long anyway.

So. Yeah. He was definitely confused here. Normally, if it had been anyone else, he'd just ask. But this was... different. Delicate even. Fragile. Reggie felt like if there was one wrong move- this would be over. Just like that. So, he didn't ask. Just let it be. Pushed whatever feelings he'd get down because...

Kevin was _so_ out of his league.

Kevin was the class vice president. Kevin was a part of, and in charge of many different clubs. He had a part-time job. He sort of spoke two other languages (his family had done some traveling.) he was a straight (heh, straight,) A _plus_ student. He was basically the male version of _Betty_. He was the only confident openly gay student at Riverdale High. And quite possibly in entire town as well. Reggie hadn't met that many gay people in Riverdale... Kevin was... _Amazing_.

Reggie was...

Reggie.

He was, or at least, had been a bully. Kind of. He never beat anyone up, but he'd made fun of anyone the moment he'd get the chance. He pranked people. He goofed off. He just barely got B's. He wasn't exactly the smartest person around. He was captain of the football team, sure. But he didn't exactly _earn or win_ that position. Archie _handed_ it to him. Reggie wasn't even good enough for _that_. He wasn't even good enough for his own parents, he-

"Reggie. Hey," Kevin said quietly, "where'd you go just now?" Reggie blinked and glanced at him. He was looking at him worriedly. Reggie swallowed.

"Uh, just homecoming. I don't have any plans." he said quickly. Kevin frowned. He knew it was a lie, but he didn't push.

"Um, okay. That's great actually. Because I was thinking, that- maybeyou'dliketogowithme?" Kevin said the last few words so quickly that Reggie didn't really catch what he'd said.

"Uh, sorry what?"

A light pink tinge appeared on Kevin's cheeks but Reggie ignored it. It was probably just the lighting.

"I was..." Kevin took a deep breath. "Reggie, would you like to be m-my d-date? For homecoming?"

Reggie stared at him.

Did that really just happen? He just imagined it didn't he? There's no way-

"Uh, R-Reggie? Say something? Please?" Kevin's cheeks turned a darker shade of pink, and Reggie then realized that he _didn't_ imagine anything.

Kevin freaking Keller asked _him, Reggie Mantle_ to go to prom with him as his _date_.

"Yes!" Reggie blurted out. His face grew hot when Kevin began to smirk. "Uh, I mean yeah. Sure. Um... just..." he took a deep breath to try and calm down. "Why me? I mean, isn't there someone..." _Better? That's actually worth the time?_ "Else?" _Please for the love of God don't let me sound super insecure!_

Kevin had a strange brief look of understanding before smiling. "There could be-" Reggie resisted the urge to frown. "But I want to go with you. I like you Reggie, and I want to spend more time with you. So, I want to go to homecoming with you." Kevin reached out and took Reggie's hand in his and linked their fingers together

Reggie still didn't really understand why Kevin was doing this. Maybe it was pity. Maybe he liked him because he felt sorry for him. It couldn't be _real,_ could it? It never was...

***

The next morning, Archie, Jughead, Cheryl and Polly had breakfast in Archie's bedroom. They weren't going to leave Jason's side any time soon. The gang had set up a table and some chairs, and a few beds.

Dr. Young was looking over him and adjusted the things he was strapped to. Archie, despite being in a similar position, _still_ had no idea what any of it was or did. He was definitely no doctor. But he was glad that whatever they were, it worked. Ms. Young had said that Jason was very dehydrated, famished, and had slipped into a coma. But they didn't have to worry about that, because there was a good chance that he'll wake up once he's better. It would take a few days though, and she wasn't sure how long that would be. Archie glanced over at him. He couldn't wait for him to wake up. He wanted to get to know Jason, and help him be comfortable with who he really is. And possibly start a relationship with him and Jughead... But that was a ways away. Jason had to be comfortable first. They'd make sure that he was.

His phone suddenly buzzed.

**Betty: I'm not sure how to ask this, but Archie, if you're sitting at that table who the hell is in your bed? And why is Polly there?**

"Shit. We forgot about Betty." Archie said and went over to his window. Betty was standing at her window staring at him with a "what the hell?" look on her face. "It's probably okay if she knows, right? She won't say anything. Plus, she's a godmother."

"Yeah, right. I guess she should probably know." Cheryl said. Archie quickly texted her back. A few seconds later she arrived.

"Oh. My. God." Betty breathed as she stood in the doorway of the bedroom.

"Yeah." Archie said. He then explained all that had happened, and what the doctor had said.

"Wow. Just... _wow_." Betty stared at Jason like he was an alien or something. Which, he might as well be. "He's back from the dead. Well, more likely he was never dead to begin with. But, wait. If he was never dead then-"

"Oh. Yeah. Who'd we bury in his grave?" Polly asked as she looked over at Jason. The room was silent for a few minutes.

That was a good question. The Blossom's _did_ bury someone. Or some _thing_.

"Was it a fake body? But who'd need to do that? And wouldn't the Blossom's notice if it were?" Archie asked.

"Wait, wait a second. Who did the autopsy?" Jughead asked.

"We don't know. My mom leaked it, but she never said. I can ask though. I won't say anything about this though. It's safer for Jason if it's just us and Archie's parents." Betty said. She quickly texted her mom and waited. "Huh, weird. She says she never got the name in the rush of getting the autopsy out there. She usually gets names for anything, but somehow, she forgot this time. Whoever did that autopsy, could have faked the results easily. Could have had some other body, fake or real on hand."

"Oh god, if it's a real body then who the hell is it? They need to be identified and avenged. It was probably a murder of some kind if it is real." Cheryl sighed.

"Isn't the only way of doing that digging up the grave? We can't exactly get away with that without anyone knowing. Especially the Blossom's." Polly said. Everyone sighed.

"That's a good point. That's the only way we'd know, but we can't because the grave is at the Thornhill graveyard. God this _sucks_." Cheryl said, frustrated.

"We'll figure it out. I'm sure. We always do." Polly said and gently squeezed her hand.

"Wait, what about homecoming?" Archie suddenly asked.

"What about it?" Betty asked.

"Well, someone should be with Jason. Everyone will be there. He shouldn't wake up in a strange place with just the family doctor to keep him company. "

"You're right. What about you and Jughead then?"

"Dances aren't really my thing, and I've usually skipped out on them, unless there was free food." Jughead shrugged, sending a glance towards Jason.

"I guess that'd be okay with me. I haven't exactly thought about homecoming anyway. Besides, Jason's more important." Archie smiled. He had wanted to stay with Jason anyway, so he was glad that Jughead agreed. Then it'd just be the three of them.

"We'll of course text if he wakes up." Cheryl said.

"Cheryl, I'm sure he'd love it if you were there, but he'd also love it if you had fun for once. Besides, you're probably going to be Homecoming Queen. You deserve that crown." Jughead said. Archie loved it when Jughead was being her brother. Those two had really bonded over the past few months. It was nice seeing them happy.

"That's sweet Juggie, but I don't know if I'm up for that this year. I don't even have a date, and it's one week away."

"I'll be your date."

Everyone looked at Polly.

"What? We all need to have a night of fun. We can use homecoming as an excuse to _celebrate_ Jason's return. Without telling anyone of course. He'd like that. I'm sure. Plus, I'm dying to get out and do something that's not shopping or eating for once. So, we can go together Cheryl." Archie couldn't help but notice that Polly hadn't let go of Cheryl's hand. Interesting. But it was probably nothing.

"There's no getting out of this is there?" Cheryl asked with a small smile. Jughead smirked.

"Nope. You and Polly are going to have a fun night out. Besides, mother and godmother should probably bond more."

Chery only smiled.

***

Cheryl smiled as she and Polly headed home with Joe, the body guard. He's promised to keep quiet about Jason.

He was back. Her twin brother was _back_! It was just so... surreal. What the hell happened to him after Sweetwater River? And who or what was in his grave now? Was their theory about Gibson and Hiram still good, or did it just get thrown out the window?

Jason being back is definitely a good thing, but now it's just brought up so many questions. Ones that maybe only he can answer. Hopefully he'll have his memory intact. Unlike Archie and Reggie. What would make their memories disappear like that?

"Hey," Polly reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, "we _will_ figure this out."

Cheryl only smiled. She'd lost the energy to keep up a conversation. Hopefully her parents hadn't noticed that they had been gone all night. Or hoped that they didn't care.

The two girls sneaked in the back, and quietly entered the house. So far they were good. No sign of the parents. They heard voices though when they were walking towards the kitchen.

"They seem satisfied." So that's where they were. The two girls thought that that sounded suspicious so they lingered a bit. "But Uncle Bedford keeps asking about the drive-in land." Cheryl frowned. This wasn't good.

"I am _so close_ to getting that land back." Clifford said. "Hermione Lodge will crumble."

"Who would have thought that she'd prove so resourceful? Maybe you should've sent her to jail instead of Hiram."

What. The. Hell.

Cheryl and Polly stared wide-eyed at each other for a few seconds before making their way up to Cheryl's room. Cheryl closed the door quietly behind them.

"Oh, my god. Oh my god!" Cheryl said repeatedly.

"This is so not good." Polly sighed and sat down on the bed. "If they sent Hiram to jail, then that would have given him a motive to go after Jason!"

"And what if he knows that Jason's alive? What if he sends someone out to look for him? Shit this is so messed up."

"Cheryl, Cheryl! Hey, just breathe calm down." Polly stood in front of her and helped her calm down. "We need to tell Veronica about this. She has to know."

"Right. Right. You're right. I'll text her to come over. Or we'll go over there. Maybe that's better. Then we wouldn't have to worry about my parents listening in. Yeah. I'll-"

"Cheryl-"

"Calm. Down. First... Right..." Cheryl took in a deep breath and let it out.

"Actually, I was going to say that I just texted her. She told us to go over there. But, yes. Calm down. It's better to discuss this with a clear head. Come on, we should get Joe and see if he's available to drive us there."

"Joe's always available for us. He's our body guard. My parents actually have a separate one believe it or not."

"Oh I believe it. Let's go."

They grabbed what they needed and headed over to the McCoy house.

"Wow, I knew the McCoy's were rich, but I didn't think they lived _here_." Polly said as they gazed up at the giant house. It could have rivaled Thornhill. Sort of. Thornhill was still the most significant house in Riverdale, but this was a freaking close second.

"It's definitely a lot more welcoming than Thornhill that's for sure. No gates, no graveyard... all it needs is an ocean view."

"Sweetwater River would have to do."

Cheryl rang the doorbell and the McCoy doorman answered. "Ah, Veronica told me you were coming, welcome ladies. I'll take you to where she is."

"Thank you." Cheryl said politely.

The doorman lead them towards the living room where Veronica was sitting on the couch on her phone. "Miss McCoy, your guests are here." said the doorman.

"Oh, thank you John." Veronica said as she glanced up from her phone. "You're dismissed." John nodded and went back to where ever he was before.

"Someone's made themselves at home here." Cheryl commented.

"Oh, yeah. Definitely. You said you had info about the Lodge's though?"

"Right." Cheryl and Polly sat down. "We overheard my parents say that they were the ones that sent Hiram to jail."

"Shit, seriously?" Veronica's eyes widened. "That would give him a motive to kill Jason." Cheryl and Polly glanced at each other. Only he wasn't actually dead.

"Right. And we heard them say that Hermione proved to be so resourceful." Polly said.

"But we're not sure what that means exactly. But my mom said that maybe they should have sent _her_ to jail instead of Hiram."

Veronica was silent for a few minutes, taking everything in.

"Shit." she sighed. "Hermione might not be a part of this then. But that still doesn't mean she's completely innocent. She still helped my f- Hiram hurt people. She's gotta fight for me if she wants me back."

***

The next day, Veronica made her way over to the Blue and Gold room. The Cooper women, minus Polly, were already there.

"Oh, finally!" Alice said as she noticed Veronica. "Close that door." Veronica did as she was told, and walked over to them. "Now, ladies. Whoever is not in this room, is on the table, is a possible murder suspect. Including those Pussycats."

The hell?

"Why would _they_ want to kill Jason?" Veronica asked with a shrug. Yeah they had no leads, but seriously? The Pussycats?

"She has a point mom. Not _everyone_ is a susp-"

"And that's where you're wrong. See, we had no _idea_ that Jason was this sweet boy that was afraid to show who he really was. That means that anyone, _anyone_ , can be acting." Alice said with a smirk. "Even the Pussycats."

"Oh my god mom." Betty sighed.

"Now," Alice ignored her and turned to Veronica, "let's talk about your father- ooh. Your _former_ father. My apologies."

Veronica nodded. "He has this epic grudge against the Blossom's. They had been the ones that sent him to jail, Cheryl told me she overheard them talking about it. So, yes. It's in the realm of possibility, that he hired someone from jail to kill Jason Blossom. Or not from jail."

"Ms. Gibson."

"Right. We're not sure how they met, or if that's even true, but it's a theory."

"That Hiram hired her to pose as Jason's piano teacher."

"God, poor Jason. Poor _Archie_. I can't believe that woman is _still_ roaming the halls of Riverdale High. Looking for another victim of her twisted mind. It's _gross_." Betty shuddered.

"Agreed. Okay we know, that she has multiple cell phones, and a gun. We have pictures, but we can't exactly say how we got them. This is quite the conundrum we have here." Alice sighed. "And we know that FP is suspicious of _something_."

"FP? Jughead's dad? Why would-" Betty asked.

"Someone posed as Jughead on July fourth, and drove up to Sweetwater River. It had to have been a snake. Jughead's father is a Serpent, the _leader._ Maybe the Blossom's hired someone to pose as his son to get revenge. Maybe FP participated in the murder. Or maybe they framed him of being a part of the murder. Maybe that's where Gibson got the gun. From the Serpents."

"That's a bit of a leap..."

"But it's a good theory."

"I guess. It's still just that though. We need more evidence that points in that direction."

"Which is why we ask questions. Not so that it looks suspicious of course. I created a list of appropriate-"

"Mom. I'm not going to interrogate Jughead's dad. I don't want anyone to get hurt, if Jughead's dad becomes a suspect under false pretenses, Jughead will get hurt. I'm not hurting my friends mom. I've gotta go, I'm helping Cheryl plan that mini prom at Thornhill. Come on, V."

The two girls left.

After school, Veronica walked back to the writing room.

"Mrs. Cooper?"

"Yes?"

Veronica walked in and closed the door. "I understand why Betty doesn't want to get in the middle of this. But I don't feel the same loyalty for the Jones family that she does."

"I'm listening."

"Helping you find out the truth about FP, will help me find out the truth about Hiram. And whether he hired someone to kill Jason."

"What exactly are you saying, Veronica?"

"I'm saying, if you wanna go after Jughead's dad Mrs. Cooper, I'm in."

***

Reggie woke up in a slight daze. He didn't remember falling asleep. He felt so warm though. Weird. He didn't usually feel this warm, but he wasn't complaining. It felt good. Reggie moved a little closer towards the heat-

And suddenly remembered where he was and what that heat was.

It was Kevin.

Reggie's face grew hot as his eyes snapped open. Shit. Wait. _Kevin's_ the one wrapped around _him._ He didn't do anything. Sometime during the night Kevin had managed to almost smother Reggie. His arms were wrapped around him, and one of his legs was draped over Reggie's. Reggie was just thankful that they both had forgotten to change out of their clothes. And that thought made him blush even more than he already was. Damn it, he knew Kevin moved around in his sleep but he didn't know he- _cuddled_. Reggie didn't move. He couldn't move. He was frozen. Maybe he should just try to go back to sleep and act as thought this never happened? But he knew that he'd never be able to go back to sleep. This was an issue. What the hell should he do? He's never felt more awkward and embarrassed in his life!

Suddenly Kevin began to stir awake, and Reggie tried not to panic. Kevin's eyes blinked open, and Reggie swallowed. "Morning." Kevin mumbled. Then he finally noticed the position they were in. "Oh. Oops. Uh, sorry about that. I move around a lot. Uh, hey you okay?" Reggie didn't trust his voice so he just nodded. Kevin didn't seem convinced, but he smiled and Reggie's sure his heart skipped a beat. Kevin shifted a little so that there was a little more space between them. And while Reggie missed the warmth, Kevin's arms remained where they were. "Let's hang out today. Just you and me." This time Reggie found his voice and prayed that it wasn't super awkward.

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Sounds great."

It was awkward.

But Kevin smiled widely and caught Reggie off guard when he pressed his lips to his forehead. Reggie's face felt like it had caught on fire. But he couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face.

For most of the morning, they relaxed and played video games. Although Reggie was kind of distracted so he didn't do so well. At lunch the two decided to go to Pop's. Things seemed to be going fine... until two certain people walked into the building. Reggie's eyes widened. What the hell were they doing here? They were _never_ here.

"What? What's wrong?" Kevin asked. He turned his head to where Reggie was staring. "Oh."

Reggie's parents.

A tall white man with dark brown hair, in casual clothes and a small petite Asian woman wearing an outfit that was a little nicer than casual. They were looking around for a few seconds, before spotting their son.

"There you are! We've been looking everywhere until Fred Andrews mentioned seeing you here." Mrs. Mantle said cheerily. Reggie still didn't think anyone else could be _that_ happy all of the time. It was embarrassing! Reggie lead them outside where they could be more alone.

"What uh, what are you doing here?" Reggie asked. He tried to stay calm but it was hard around them.

"We're back for the homecoming dance." Mr. Mantle said.

Oh. Yeah. _Of course_. Of course, they're back for homecoming! Why _else_ would they be back? It's not like they were back for _him_ or anything.

"Oh, we also wanted to check in on you!" Mrs. Mantle said quickly. His thoughts must have shown on his face. Yeah. Sure. "We know that we haven't exactly been around." Understatement, but okay. "We tried to get away from work sooner, but things got, well, tricky." Of course, they did. Why wouldn't they?

"We want you to know that we do care about you son. It's just hard what with my business taking off, and your mother being a flight attendant. Our long, odd hours make it hard for us to come home." Mr. Mantle said, putting a hand on Reggie's shoulder. Reggie held back a sigh.

They did this _every_ time they came back. They said the same thing- almost the exact same words. Reggie never really knew what to do, so he usually just nodded. Like today. His mother hugged him, but Reggie knew what was going to come next. They never had any time for him. Ever. Even when they were back for like a week, they were always catching up with friends and relatives, but never _him_.

"Oh, we promised Fred, Mary and Hermione that we'd have lunch with them. And we'll let you get back to your date! Oh, honey we're so happy you found someone!" Mrs. Mantle said smiling.

"He's the sheriff's son, right? We've only met them a few times, but he seems like such a nice boy." Mr. Mantel said, Reggie's eyes widened and he blushed as his father looked over his shoulder and waved. Reggie quickly glanced back to see Kevin through the window, still at their booth, looking slightly embarrassed having been caught. But Kevin being Kevin, he still gave a smile and small wave before looking away.

"Uh, it's not- we're not-" Reggie fumbled over his words. He hadn't exactly told his parents he was bisexual. This wasn't the way he wanted this to happen. _Ugh_. He and Kevin weren't even together!

"Honey, we don't care who you date so long as they're a good person." Mrs. Mantle said. "Oh! How about we all get together for dinner one night? We can do it before going to homecoming! Oh, that would be so nice to get to know one another!"

"Sounds like a great idea sweetie. Of course they might already have plans that night, but we could do it another night while we're here. Oh, maybe you could ask them Reggie?" Mr. Mantle said.

"Uh..." Reggie floundered for a bit, "Yeah. Sure. Why not?" he tried to sound happy.

"Oh wonderful!" Mrs. Mantle hugged him once more. "Oh we should get going and have our own lunch. I'm _famished_!"

"Right. We'll see you at home son!"

Reggie smiled but he was sure it didn't look quite right. "Yeah." He sighed once he saw them drive off.

Sounds _great._

***

Archie walked into the house Monday afternoon, after football  feeling a little tired. The coach was hard on him today he was a little distracted. and he was still reeling from the fact that his parents were back together again. Not to mention Jason being back, and his newly found feelings for him. Emotions are tiring. Jason was still unconscious as far as he knew, but the doctor always said that he was doing better. So that gave him lots of hope. Dr. Young came by a lot and had said to call her if things changed at all.

"Oh good, Archie," Fred said as soon as he entered the house, "we're having trouble deciding what to do about supper. Chinese or pizza?"

"We always have pizza." Archie said. It wasn't much help, he knew that, but either one would be fine with him. He's starving!

"Let me guess, pepperoni, and red pepper." Mary said. Archie smiled.

"Alright, so uh, Moon Palace. They still deliver. We can get uh-"

"General Tso's chicken, scallion pancakes, vegetable dumplings, family-style." Mary smirked. Guess they had a few habits when it came to dinner.

"So, taco's then?" Fred asked.

"Oh who's going to the dance? I know Fred and I are, oh with Hermione too I invited her." Mary said.

"You did? Oh. Uh, that's great! We can all catch up."

"Exactly. Are you going Archie?"

"Actually, uh," Archie realized that he may have forgotten to tell his mother that he was dating Jughead... now would be a good time he supposed. "I probably would have gone with _Jughead_ but uh, we decided to stay and look after Jason." He felt himself blush when his mother smirked. She knew, didn't she? Of course she did. Why wouldn't she?

"So you would have gone _together_ as _friends_?"

"A-as _dates_. W-we uh, we're dating?" Archie replied. He knew it was stupid to be awkward and nervous, but he still was.

 Mary smiled widely. She knew. Of course she did, she's his mother. "Oh I knew it! I’m so happy for you!" She pulled him in for a hug. Wait.

"Dad showed you the video didn't he?"

"What video?" Mary pulled away and Archie blushed.

"It's nothing!"

"Hm, now I'm curious. Honey what video?"

Fred snorted and pulled out his phone. _No!_ Having one parent tease him about it was bad enough! What's worse is that he saw Fred bring up the _Facebook page_. Archie sighed. This was the end of him. Seriously. It was.

"Oh! That's adorable! It's so wonderful seeing everyone so supportive these days. You two are so cute together!" Mary cooed.

Archie's blush deepened as he made his way to the stairs. "I'm gonna go check on Jason." He was going to do that anyway, but it was still a good excuse to get away from _that._ He sighed once he closed the door to his bedroom. He looked over at Jason. Weirdly enough he seemed... peaceful. Maybe he subconsciously knew he was in a safer place than where ever he was before? Whatever the reason, Archie was glad that he seemed peaceful. He deserved it after all of that crap. Archie smiled and sat down on the bed beside him.

_God_ , he was handsome! Even with slightly greasy hair, and cuts and bruises. His hair was curly. Who knew? Well, Cheryl probably did. Duh. Curly looked good on him. Not to mention his body- despite his thinness from the lack of food. He had a swimmer’s body. He didn't _look_ particularly muscular, or built, but he was. You just had to see him in action. And he was so sweet! He might not have been the perfect son his parents envisioned, but he was perfect for Archie and Jughead, and the rest of their friends. He loved the idea of getting to know the Jason he's heard about but never met.

At school, Jason seemed confident. Others may have seen him as a bit of a jerk, because he hung out with guys like Chuck, but he wasn't all that bad really. He didn't do much bullying, and even stopped it when Archie and Jughead were around. Whether they were the ones being bullied or not. Archie then realized that that might have been a way of showing Jughead that he wasn't a bad person. Or that he wasn't what everyone thought he was. But now he didn't have to prove anything, he could just be himself.

***

"You know Polly, I'm glad you guys pushed me to go out. We're honouring JJ's legacy together. He'd be happy. I kind of wish we could tell him tonight." Cheryl said the night of homecoming. She and Polly were getting ready. "Wow, this colour really pops on you." Cheryl smiled as she put the makeup down. Polly smiled.

"I've been thinking. The theme for the dance is Blast from the Past, right?" Cheryl nodded. "So, I say we go retro and borrow some of your mom's old bling for the night."

That would definitely give them access to their bedroom... Cheryl smiled. "You're naughty Polly." Polly smirked.

After a few minutes, they managed to sneak their way into the bedroom. "My parents would _freak_ if they knew we were in here. Luckily they're out for a couple of hours." Cheryl said looking at a few of her mother's dresses.

"So, how many wigs does your dad have exactly?" Polly asked, staring at them. Guess it would seem a little odd from an outsider's point of view.

"One for every mood" Cheryl began looking at some of her mother's jewelry. "Legend has it that Clifford's hair turned white overnight. Supposedly, he saw the ghost of Grandpappy Blossom with his throat slit. Now me, I love a silver fox, but we Blossom's, live and die by our red curls. Speaking of red curls, my father hates his curly hair. And Jason's. I always just figured that maybe he just thought it looked unprofessional or something. He's the one that got Jason to gel his hair whenever he went out." Cheryl frowned as Polly came over. "He's the one that changed him. Hid the real Jason under a wall. Now I think that maybe he knew who Jason really was and was so disgusted, that he changed him."

"Hey." Polly wrapped her arm around her and hugged her. "He _tried_ to change him. But he didn't. Jason was still Jason when we became friends. Actually, he was kind of changing _back_ now that I think about it." Cheryl smiled.

"Thanks." Cheryl set the jewelry box she was holding down and moved on. "You know my dad tried dying his hair once but-" She stopped when she opened the next box.

"Oh my god." Polly breathed. "That's-"

"Nana's ring."

"But- but _Jason_ had that. It never left him. He wouldn't have given it back for _anything_. I thought it was lost with the fire."

"So why does my _mother_ have it? Polly... What if they knew he was alive?" Cheryl's eyes began to sting.

"Cheryl, we can't jump to conclusions okay? We have to have a clear mind before deciding anything. This could mean _anything_. But we have to ask her. I don't think we'll find out any other way." Polly said carefully. Cheryl nodded and blinked back some tears. "Hey, we'll figure this out. Come here." Polly said and pulled her in for a proper hug. Cheryl began to calm down.

Later they confronted Penelope.

"You wanted an explanation. The last time Clifford saw Jason, was the day our son washed his hands off of our family. Jason wanted nothing more to do with the Blossom name. Nor our lineage. Including the ring, which he _threw_ in Clifford's face as his final rebuke."

Cheryl frowned at her mother. Jason would never do that. He would have kept Nana's ring. Nana was, aside from Cheryl, the only other Blossom to support him and his decisions. That ring meant a lot to him. This didn't make any sense.

"Clifford then gave the ring to me for safekeeping."

"I-I thought the ring was lost." Polly said sending a glance in Cheryl's direction. They were thinking the same thing.

This story is false.

"Nothing is lost forever." Penelope gazed up at the family portrait of the Blossom's. At Jason. "Everything comes back."

Shit, if only she knew how true those words really were.

"Now, if that's all the questions you have, I'll leave you two to get ready for the dance." With that said, Penelope got up and left.

"None of this makes any sense." Cheryl said once they were back in Cheryl's room.

"Jason would have never done that. He loved that ring because your Nana believed in him." Polly said with a nod.

"Looks like the direct approach didn't work." Cheryl sighed.

"So let's do our own digging."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was way too long for one chapter so lucky you! You get two! :D That rhymed! Ha! I think I split it at a good place, so hopefully it works.
> 
> Part two will be up tomorrow because I'm tired. Like, I'm even too tired to fix a few mistakes I saw. But whatever! Doesn't affect the actual story so it's fine. lol


	14. Until This Days Sometimes I Cry (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Triggers! Self-doubt, self-hate. Slight homophobia mention. There's a slap at some point. That's it I think...
> 
>  
> 
> Shit. Goes. DOWN!

"Archie! Hey, I wanted to ask you something, can we talk?" Veronica asked as she met up with him in the hallway the next day.

"Uh, sure Ronnie what's up?"

"Not here. Come on." She led him away towards an empty classroom and closed the door.

"You know people might get the idea that I'm cheating on Jughead?" Archie said with a frown, glancing at the door. Veronica held back a sigh.

"Don't worry Archiekins, everyone knows you and Juggie are adorably, and somewhat disgustingly deeply in love. We'll stay three feet away from each other if that makes you feel any better." Archie just rolled his eyes.

"Okay, what'd you wanna ask?"

"Okay. I've been doing some digging and I'm worried about a theory that I have."

"What theory?" Archie frowned. Veronica looked down. God, she didn't want to do this, but she needed to know. She sighed.

"Hiram Lodge had hired FP to do some work. Cheryl and Polly overheard the Blossom's talking about how they were the ones that sent Hiram to jail. They're using Hermione somehow, I don't know what they're doing though. The Blossom's sending Hiram to jail could have given him a motive to... go after Jason. Get rid of the heir." She took a deep breath. "He might have hired FP and his gang to- to kill Jason."

"No."

"Archie-"

" _No._ Veronica. I'm not helping you search Jughead's dad. He's innocent, at least for now. Look, none of our theories are all over the place now that Jason's back, and there's no proof other than what we have on Gibson. So far, _she's_ our best lead, not FP."

Veronica stared at Archie.

"What?"

"FP's innocent?"

"No, no. Before that last part. About _Jason being back_."

"Shit." Archie looked panicked. Shit indeed. "Shit you didn't- you weren't supposed to know. N-no one else was-"

"Archie, Archie!" Veronica said quietly. She glanced at the door, no one, good. She put her hands on his shoulders. "Try to calm down okay? We're on the same team, I won't say anything to anyone. Okay? Who else knows?"

Archie took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. Veronica suddenly realized that Archie had been very careful about his decisions lately. What had him so freaked out about this one mistake?

"The only ones that know, are me, Jughead, my parents, Cheryl, Polly and Betty. And Cheryl and Jason's family doctor. We're not telling anyone else for Jason's safety. Not even the Blossom's, we don't want him going back to that life." Archie had calmed down a bit, but he still seemed really worried. Didn't he trust Veronica? Or maybe... he didn't trust himself. Shit. Why did she not see that before? Had she really been that wrapped up in her own life? What else did she miss?

"Yeah, that makes sense. Hey, can I see him?"

Well that was the _wrong_ thing to ask. _Damn it Veronica, you just made things worse._

"No!" Archie's eyes widened. "No, I-I'm sorry, but if we let the others know that you know, they'll want to know _why_ you know and I don't want them to know about another mistake!"

"Hey, hey! It's okay, it's okay. That was a dumb thing to ask. Archie..." she hesitated. Maybe she shouldn't ask. But what if he needed to get something off his chest? "What has you so worried about me knowing?" she asked calmly. Archie closed his eyes and sighed.

"It's... nothing you need to worry about. And it's not about you. Just- don't worry about it. But the other's can't know I told you."

"Okay. They won't. Wait, when the hell did Jason even come back?"

"At the end of the last chapter."

"You mean last week?"

"Why what'd I say?"

The two of them had a staring contest of confusion for a few seconds. Then Veronica looked away.

"He climbed through my window a few hours after Jughead's party last Friday. He was extremely out of breath like he'd just ran a marathon at the Olympics or something. He was pretty beaten up too, sort of like how Reggie and I were. He said our names though before he passed out so there's that."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"So Jason Blossom is _back_."

"Yep."

"And the plot thickens."

***

"Reggie, we don't have to do this." Kevin wrapped his arm around Reggie's waist and held his hand with his other hand. The two of them were sitting on Kevin's bed, waiting for their parents to arrive. Reggie bit back a sigh.

"It's fine."

Kevin never bought his lies of course. But he never pushed him either. Kevin leaned in and Reggie thought that they were going to kiss, until Kevin only kissed his cheek. And Reggie cursed himself for blushing.

"Hey uh, how were your nights at your place?" Kevin asked.

Reggie didn't have it in him to tell his parents that he was staying with the Keller's, and he didn't have the guts to ask if he could stay there... So he had gone home for a few days. And the nights? Reggie swallowed.

"Fine."

Horrible.

Downright horrible. The nightmares he's had since... _everything_ , have gotten worse, and some nights, he didn't even sleep! He knows that he should tell _someone,_ but- he can't. He just, doesn't have the guts. He felt so... _weak._

"Reggie, I-"

_Knock, knock_.

"Hey guys, dinner will be ready as soon as Reggie's parents get here." Sheriff Keller opened the door and poked his head through. Kevin removed the hand that was holding Reggie's, but his other arm remained wrapped around his waist. Reggie heard a quiet sigh from Kevin, as he turned to look at his father.

"Uh, okay. We'll be down soon."

"Great." Sheriff Keller left and closed the door.

Kevin sighed a little more loudly this time. "I guess we should get ready."

"Yeah." Reggie didn't know what else to say. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Kevin kissed him on the cheek again. And Reggie blushed- _again_. They then got ready for dinner. It was homecoming night, so they had to dress nicely.

A few minutes later, Reggie's parents arrived and rang the doorbell. Sheriff Keller answered, and Reggie stood off to the side next to Kevin.

"Hello!" Mrs. Mantle smiled widely.

"Nice to finally meet officially, Sheriff Keller. I'm Ricky, and this is Victoria."

"Oh, but please, call me Vicky." Vicky chuckled.

"Nice to meet you, oh, this is my son Kevin." Sheriff Keller gestured towards his son who smiled. "Dinner is all ready in the dining room."

"It smells wonderful!" Vicky smiled. Seriously, did she _ever_ stop smiling? Reggie faked a smile when his parents smiled at him.

Sheriff Keller lead the group towards the dining room, and Kevin and Reggie trailed behind a few feet away.

"Ricky and Vicky?" Kevin muttered to him. Reggie scoffed.

"Yeah. They were the _cute couple_ in high school." Reggie couldn't tell what Kevin's expression was. "What?"

"You _sure_ you're okay with this? We can make up something like, we forgot that we were going to help Betty with some last-minute stuff for homecoming and escape." Kevin took his hand and squeezed it. Reggie then realized that his hands were sweaty and hoped that Kevin didn't notice.

"I'm _fine_. I mean, they're spending time with me?" Crap, he even sounded unsure to himself. Kevin frowned, and glanced towards the dining room, no one was looking for them yet.

"Reggie I-"

"Oh boys!" Vicky called, "Better hurry up before we eat all of the food! Ricky can eat like there's no tomorrow." She then launched into some story about when they were on vacation. She almost never stopped talking. Kevin's shoulder's slumped slightly, but only Reggie noticed.

"Food. I guess." he said. There was something about his tone that told Reggie he was annoyed at being interrupted. Again.

During the dinner, Vicky did most of the talking. One story after another, occasionally letting Ricky chime in. But he seemed content with letting her speak. At least they were happy? Reggie stayed quiet most of the time. Only spoke if someone spoke directly to him.

***

"It's nice, you know?" Jughead said when he and Archie were getting ready for dinner. There had been a slight change of plans when Alice Cooper invited Jughead and his father out to dinner at their place. Archie looked over at him, questioningly. "Your parents. They're back together." Archie smiled.

"Yeah. It is. It's like nothing had ever changed."

"Yeah. And hey, my dad's cleaning up too. He _shaved._ "

"Alert the media."

"Seriously Archie." Jughead chuckled. "He cleaned up the house when I visited him. He's got cleaner clothes. You know he actually offered to read my articles?" Archie frowned slightly. Crap. He was worried about where this was going.

"The ones about Jason?"

"Yeah. And like, he _engaged_ with them. Asked questions."

"He asked questions."

"Ones like, who I thought did it. Which, of course, I have no clue really. Not anymore-"

"He asked you who you thought did it?"

_Shitshitshitshitshitshit-_

"You, repeating everything I'm saying is getting annoying. You okay?" Jughead eyed him suspiciously. Archie swallowed.

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine."

Jughead frowned and wrapped an arm around him. _Damn it, how do you always end up in these situations?!_

"Arch, you can tell me anything."

Archie swallowed. He didn't know what to do. He did the first thing that came to mind. Lie.

"Oh, shit, I forgot that my mom likes almond milk in her coffee. We're out, I'm gonna go get some." Archie stood up and grabbed his keys.

"Arch, I love you, but you're a horrible liar. We are _definitely_ talking about this later." Jughead's gaze softened as he hugged Archie. Hugs were meant to heal, so why did Archie feel worse? _Because you're lying to his face, and are about to go and possibly betray him. That's why you idiot._ Archie pushed those thoughts away. He needed to get to Veronica. She might just be right about FP. Jughead pulled away and kissed him. As much as Archie wanted to stay, he knew he couldn't. "You know you can trust me with anything." Jughead said softly. "Drive safely."

Archie could only nod.

God, this whole thing felt so _wrong._ But he couldn't stand back and let FP ruin Jughead's life even more than he already has.

He drove quickly- possibly skipping a few stop signs- towards the McCoy house. He had texted Veronica just before he left the driveway to let her know he was coming. He pulled up to the McCoy house, and Veronica opened the door as soon as he did.

"You were right." Archie said as he walked up to her. "About FP. Jughead had just told me that he read over his articles about Jason, and asked questions. Like who he thought did it."

"I knew it." Veronica sighed.

"But we _cannot_ tell _anyone_ Ronnie. Not Jughead, or Betty, or even Mrs. Cooper. We're only going to see if we find anything. If we do, we leave it. If we don't- great. He's innocent." Archie's pulse pumped with adrenaline. His phone buzzed, as did Veronica's.

"It's Mrs. Cooper, she says that their dinner is about to start and the Jones' are going to be there soon." Veronica said.

"Jug just said that he's heading over there now. We have to move fast okay?"

"Of course. Just take a deep breath and calm down okay? Things are going to be okay, I can feel it."

Veronica and Archie walked towards the truck, and Archie took a deep breath and tried to calm down. But considering what they were about to do, it was kind of hard. He drove them to FP's trailer. He found the spare key hidden in its usual place.

"Just like when we were kids." Archie _so_ did _not_ want to do this. But they were already in too deep.

"Okay, remember in then out. Quickly. It's a trailer, there aren't that many rooms. If we find something, take a picture, but leave it. If we don't find anything, we leave." Veronica said sternly. Archie nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. This was his _second_ time breaking and entering someone's house.

"Right." He took a deep breath. "Let's do this."

They searched through _everything_ but didn't find anything. Nothing super suspicious other than beer bottles, porn (which Archie definitely did _not_ to find,) and no electronics other than the TV, home phone, clocks and an old stereo. No computer, no cell phone, nothing that could hide evidence. Archie sighed in relief when they were almost done.

"Ugh, nothing!" Veronica said harshly. Archie frowned at her.

"Why are you frustrated? This is a _good_ thing. He's innocent." Archie said as she closed the closet door.

"I just..." she sighed. "I _need_ to know for _sure_. If my dad-" she stopped herself. "If _Hiram Lodge_ has anything to do with Jason's case then he could have hired someone to try to kill him. Obviously, that didn't work, but he could still get charged and _stay_ in jail. Like he deserves."

"Hey, I get it. But we didn't find anything here, so now we have to go. Besides, I have to get back so Jug and I can watch over Jason. He's still unconscious."

"Right." Veronica nodded and sighed again. "Right, yeah okay. Let's go. I'm going to homecoming with Betty anyway, I need to get ready."

"Betty?"

"Kind of a girl’s night out with other people. Come on, you gotta get to your two boyfriends." Veronica took the keys and walked out. Archie blinked as he realized what she just said. He followed her out and took the keys from her. There's no way she could have known...

"You know I only have one boyfriend. Right?"

"For now. Archiekins, I see the way you act when we talk about Jason. I see how _Jughead_ acts, and out of the two of you, he's a better actor. It's super obvious you both want to have a poly-relationship with Jason." Veronica explained when they got inside of the truck. Archie blushed. He didn't think it was _that_ obvious. But guess he was wrong. "You're blushing big time, I was right! Now drive." Archie sighed, and despite himself, blushed even more. But he managed to drive back to the McCoy house.

***

Cheryl had finally finished getting ready for homecoming and went to go find Polly.

She found her passed out on her bed. With her mother standing next to her.

"What the _hell_ did you do to her?!" Cheryl demanded. She walked up to Polly and pushed her mother out of the way and sat down on the bed. Why? Why would her mother do this? They were supposed to be happy tonight!

"Nothing harmful dear. Just a sleeping potent in her smoothie to help her sleep. Won't harm the babies." Penelope said, her face neutral. Cheryl frowned.

"Babies? As in more than one?"

"Oh yes. Didn't you hear? Dr. Young confirmed twins. Isn't it wonderful?"

Cheryl kept her eyes on Polly. "Of course." She kept her voice strong, although she was absolutely pissed off at her mother. She _knew_ she and Polly were going to go to homecoming together.

"Oh Cheryl." Penelope said, stepping closer. "I only did this to keep Polly safe. To keep the babies safe. Who knows what could have happened at that dance?"

"Just-" Cheryl paused. "Just go. Leave us alone." She was tired.

Once her mother left and closed the door, she sighed. Tired of all of this bullshit. Tired of her mother, tired of her father. Tired of being worried or scared. Tired of this _entire_ situation! She and Polly were supposed to have a night out and have _fun_ for once!  Why did her mother do this? They would have been fine at the dance. A room full of crowded people. A room full of teenagers _and_ adults! Cheryl sighed and looked down at her red dress.

Guess there was no point in wearing it anymore. All that work for nothing. She looked back at Polly. She looked beautiful. At least her mother let her have time to change before drugging her. That dress would have brought out her eyes. She took off Polly's shoes and made her more comfortable on the bed, and pulled the covers over her. Cheryl reached out and brushed some of her hair away from her face.

Polly didn't deserve any of this. She deserved happiness. Not drugs to make her sleep.

Cheryl's mind switched to Jason's case.

She wanted this damn person to be caught already! She wanted Jason to wake up, she wanted... she sighed. She wanted to move on. The only person that knows what truly happened, was Jason. And he was still unconscious. At least the colour was back in his face and he didn't look so sick anymore. He looked peaceful in fact. Perhaps he subconsciously knew he was in a safer place. Safer than wherever the hell he was before. Hopefully after all of this, with Jughead _and_ Archie by his side, he'll finally be happy. She's sure Jason can fall for Archie. He's always had a soft spot for him. Despite being angry, Cheryl smiled.

But then she frowned realizing that Polly didn't have anyone special like that anymore. She was about to have baby twins, and she was an unwed mother.

Well, there's Cheryl. She didn't have anyone either, romantically anyway. She had Jughead sure, but that's like how Polly had Betty. Siblings. That was a huge difference from a romantic partner. But Cheryl smiled as she vowed to be there for Polly whenever she could. And who knows, maybe if neither of them had found a partner to rely on, maybe _they'd_ get together? It was just a thought. She just didn't want Polly to be raising the kids alone. Not that she would be _totally_ alone she supposed. Jason would most likely be around as much as he can to be a father. In fact, he, Jughead and Archie would all be fathers. They'd make great fathers.

Cheryl _could_ be _Aunt_ Cheryl if she needed to be. She'd be the fun aunt- no offense to Betty. But Betty can be kind of a stickler about having fun. (Maybe Veronica can help her get loose once in a while.) So that'd be Cheryl's job.

Cheryl smiled to herself as she changed out of her dress and wiped off her make up. She stayed by Polly's side for the rest of the evening. Her mind kept going back and forth between Aunt Cheryl, Cheryl Cooper, or Polly Blossom. Or maybe they'd use both surnames?

***

Reggie swallowed nervously as he stared at himself in the mirror in his bedroom. He'd just finished getting ready for homecoming and was now waiting for his parents. They were going to drop him off at Kevin's and go meet up with their friends at the dance. His hands shook slightly as he fumbled with his tie trying to straighten it.

This was the first time he'd be taking a _guy_ to a dance.

Sure, he had already been out for a few months now, but that didn't mean he dated any guys. Riverdale was not exactly full of gays and bisexuals. Or it was and most were hiding. He wasn't afraid of being with a guy in public, but this wasn't just _any_ guy.

It was _Kevin Keller_.

Kevin who- despite every bad thing Reggie had done- had stuck by him throughout this whole... _murder_ slash _kidnapping_ thing. Kevin who was a genuinely kind person, and everything Reggie could never be. Kevin who was quick to accept him as a friend when he needed one. Kevin who _somehow_ understood Reggie and became the person he went to, to vent or just talk. Kevin who understood what it was like to be lonely. Kevin who made Reggie's breathing hitch, and his palms sweat. Kevin who made him blush and smile like he's never had before. Kevin who made his pulse speed up and his heart skip a beat.

Kevin Keller who was Reggie Mantle's first official crush.

He'd felt _something_ when Kevin first moved to Riverdale. He wasn't sure what it was though.

It had taken Reggie a while to realize it, but eventually he had. He'd come to that conclusion during the first dance of the year. When he saw Kevin being dragged by Veronica and give a large smile towards Moose- and not him. Lots of guys tended to go to Kevin to explore their sexuality. It wasn't a huge secret. He'd felt a huge pain of jealousy and took a big gulp of the alcohol he'd brought to take it away. That wasn't the best night for him... He woke up with the worst hang over he'd ever had. Then he remembered why. After that he'd fallen hard and fast. Kevin had been the only thing on his mind for _weeks_. He never acted on it though. He figured that Kevin was out of his league. He was also afraid of rejection. Afraid of being alone. More than he already was. But then Reggie had gotten kidnapped, and suddenly Kevin was there. Kevin was _worried_ about him. And suddenly one night the two of them got beat up badly by some guys from Montreal. After that apparently, Kevin had decided that they should be friends.

At least that's what Reggie thought they were. Well, kind of. He still... had doubts. But friends usually went to dances as that. _Friends_. Not as... _dates_. Reggie swallowed and took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. He was so nervous, he thought he was going to throw up. His first instinct was to call and cancel but... something stopped him. His feelings maybe? The fact that he _wants_ to go with Kevin? Be Kevin's date?

Probably.

Reggie sighed.

"Hey sport," Ricky's voice jolted Reggie from his thoughts as he turned to look at his father, "looking good! We're about to head off soon, your mother's just confirming plans with the others."

"Uh, great. Be down in a sec." Reggie managed to say. His dad nodded and left. Reggie looked at himself in the mirror one last time and took a deep breath and let it out. He can do this.

He was probably going to puke.

But he can do this.

Probably.

Reggie eventually moved his legs and went downstairs to meet his parents. During the ride to Kevin's, Reggie's wasn't paying attention to his parents but was thinking of Kevin. Like usual. What he might be wearing, his hair, his smile... The ride was much shorter than he thought it was.

"We'll see you at the dance honey! Have fun!" Vicky smiled widely. Reggie only smiled. Or _tried_ to smile anyway. He got out, and watched as his parents drove off. They didn't even wait to make sure he got in okay. Reggie sighed and walked up the front steps of the Keller residence. The door opened to reveal Kevin-

And Reggie couldn't breathe.

Kevin was beautiful!

"Wow..." Kevin said, and Reggie's heart leaped at the fact that he said it a little breathlessly. "You look amazing!" Kevin smiled and Reggie blushed. He gave a small smile as Kevin moved to let him inside. Kevin glanced outside and frowned as he closed the door. "Your parents left already?" Reggie frowned and looked down.

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "They uh, had to meet their friends."

Kevin gave him a worried look and hugged him. Reggie closed his eyes and breathed in Kevin's scent. They stayed like that for a while. Finally, Kevin pulled away and kissed Reggie sweetly on the cheek. His lips lingered there for a few seconds before pulling away.

"When are they leaving?" Kevin asked quietly.

"Three days." Reggie replied.

"Say you're sleeping over at friends. Stay with us. You don't have to go back to that place. You can stay with us- stay with _me_ , for as long as you want." Kevin's voice was so soft that what he said lifted a weight off Reggie's shoulders. He felt his nerves from earlier melt away. He let out a shaky sigh of relief as Kevin brought his hands up and cupped the sides of his face.

"I-I'd like that." Reggie said quietly.

Kevin smiled and pressed their foreheads together. Reggie closed his eyes, and took in the comfort and warmth Kevin was giving him. Their breathing became in sync with one another. Kevin moved his mouth a little closer to Reggie's. His hot breath sent shivers down Reggie's spine and suddenly filled him with _want_ and _need_. Their lips touched- light as a feather.

There was no electric shock, or fireworks, like people say. It was just... _pure_. It was the most beautiful-

_KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! DING-DONG! DING-DONG! DING-DONG! KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!_

"KEVIN KELLER! Open up this god damn door and let's get our party on already!"

Kevin promptly gave a loud groan and buried his face in Reggie's shoulder.

"Classy Veronica, very _classy_." Kevin was clearly pissed off. Reggie, despite being a little annoyed, smiled at Kevin's frustration. They went over to the door and opened it. "Ladies." Kevin was obviously trying to sound polite, but was kind of failing. Reggie only smiled.

The girls were beautiful, as always. Veronica in a deep green dress, Betty in a light blue.

"So Cheryl texted me and said that her evil mother drugged Polly and put her to sleep. So they aren't coming, and we totally cockblocked you two didn't we? We did, I know it. I can _smell it_." Veronica said with a large smirk. Betty just smiled _innocently_ behind her. Kevin sighed.

"Dance. Car. Go. Come on." Kevin replied and linked his arm with Reggie's, locked the door and pushed past the girls. The girls just giggled behind them as they followed.

***

Veronica smirked as the four of them got into the limo. She _knew_ Kevin and Reggie had some kind of thing going on between them. She was happy for them. They deserved it after all of the crap that happened to them. She smiled widely. It was time for them to have fun!

The four of them arrived at the dance that was already in full blow. Music was playing, people were dancing, and having fun. They noticed the Andrews' on the dance floor, Hermione Lodge dancing with a few friends. Veronica frowned at her.

"Hey. No frowns." Betty said, turning Veronica's head to look at her instead of Hermione. "Tonight, we have fun. Like you said." Veronica smiled, and Betty smiled back. "Come on, Kevin and Reggie are already on the dance floor. Dancing makes most people happy!" Veronica giggled as Betty grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the crowd.

They danced to a few songs, and Betty and Veronica took turns spinning each other and leading. Everyone seemed to be enjoying life for once! Veronica smiled as a slow song came on and pulled Betty closer. Betty giggled.

"Won't people get ideas?" she asked. Veronica smirked.

"B, come on. Archie and Juggie got together, and I'm pretty sure Reggie and Kevin are together. That's four out of eight. They probably already have a few ideas about us. Let them think what they want. Who cares? Besides, I think we'd be rivals for Jarchie as Riverdale High's hottest couple if we got together! None of that sounds bad to me!" Veronica laughed. Betty laughed with her.

"I suppose you have a point Ronnie. I guess we already kissed huh?"

They laughed for a bit, and Veronica glanced over at Kevin and Reggie. "Awe, look at them. They could totally be Riverdale High's _cutest_ couple for sure! Ooh, hey, we should make a poll!" Veronica said. Betty gave her an odd look.

"Like, for Riverdale's couples? That's kind of weird."

"Why not? Archie and Jughead are the hottest, but who's the cutest (Kevin and Reggie,) most loyal, the _smuttiest_ , most interesting, most opposites, most likely to break up, the most PG13- oh wait that last one's probably Archie and Jughead again. But you get the idea."

"Yeah, but most likely to break up seems like a bad idea." Betty said thoughtfully, and Veronica shrugged in agreement. "But the others are fine I guess. We could make a pole on the Jarchie page, and tell them to go vote on another page."

"Great idea! Ooh! We should get people to come up with couple names for each of them too! I wonder what Kevin and Reggie's would be..." Veronica said glancing up in thought as she tried to put the two names together.

"You know they already call us Beronica?"

"That sounds like a name for Bacteria, or some sort of disease, _gross_." Veronica laughed. Betty laughed, and something caught Veronica's eye. She quickly glanced towards it, without Betty noticing.

Alice Cooper.

Right. She was supposed to give her the info on FP.

"Hey, I'm kinda thirsty, I'm gonna get us some punch." Veronica said looking towards the drink table.

"Okay cool, I'll get us a table. Meet you there." Betty said with a smile. The two went separate ways and Veronica grabbed two plastic cups. She could just _smell_ the alcohol from the punch. Whoever spiked it put way too much in. Ew. So instead she went for the untouched juice. The juice was usually left alone. It was one of those fruits that just didn't mix well with alcohol.

"Oh Veronica, good. I was hoping to get you alone." Alice said smiling. "So," she looked around making sure no one was listening, "what's the deal with FP?"

"He's innocent as far as we know. We didn't find anything." Veronica said quickly.

"Wait, who's we?"

"I don't want-"

"Veronica please, I have to know."

Veronica sighed. There was no getting out of it.

"Me and Archie, but you can _not_ tell anyone that he went with me. Got it? Not Betty, and _especially_ not Jughead. I've gotta get back to Betty before she sees us and suspects anything and she's right behind me, isn't she?" Veronica said, and Alice nodded with a frown.

SHIT.

Veronica turned around slowly to see Betty fuming with anger.

"What the _hell_ Veronica? You dragged _Archie_ along? You couldn't leave well enough alone could you?" Betty hissed quietly, making sure no one heard. Veronica sighed, put the cups down and pulled the two women out of the gymnasium and into an empty classroom.

"Alright, if anyone's going to be blaming anyone, I'll take it." Veronica said. "I'm the one that asked Mrs. Cooper to follow up on her plan, and I'm the one that dragged Archie along."

"Veronica you _know_ we have to tell Jughead!" Betty said.

"Betty, we can't! He'll feel betrayed, and he and Archie might break up because of me!"

"So you should have realized that when you asked him to go with you! Jughead deserves to know what's happened."

"Betty _please_ -"

"Don't _please_ me Veronica. You went behind his back and broke into his dad's trailer!" Betty sighed and Veronica swallowed a lump in her throat. This wasn't supposed to happen damn it! They were supposed to have _fun_! "I gotta get out of here." Betty said and headed towards the doors.

"Betty wait-"

"Don't. Veronica."

That ended any more conversation. Veronica sighed and closed her eyes. Alice called after Betty and headed in the direction she left.

Well, shit. This wasn't going to go over well.

***

Reggie smiled as he danced to a slow song with Kevin. Kevin had his arms resting on Reggie's shoulders, and the slow movement of his thumbs on his neck sent shivers all throughout his body. He never thought this would ever happen! Him and Kevin... Having Kevin close to him felt _good_. It felt _safe_.

"You know," Kevin said quietly, "this is my first time bringing an actual _date_ to one of these." Reggie blushed lightly and Kevin smiled.

"I-I'm honoured to be the first." Reggie stuttered.

"Hey Reg?"

"Yeah?"

"How did you figure out you were bi? We never got that story."

Reggie gave a quiet groan of annoyance. He knew this would come up eventually, he just didn't realize it would happen so soon. "Uh, quite a- few things happen in locker rooms." He relished the moment as Kevin blushed a bright red. Kevin Keller doesn't blush that often. The red tint went down beneath his shirt and Reggie would have loved to find out how far it went. Kevin quietly cleared his throat.

"I-I uh, guess. Y-yeah."

"A-and I _might_ have been attracted to a few guys." Kevin raised his eyebrows at that.

"Do you mind if I ask who made the cut on Mantle the Magnificent's list of people he feels an attraction towards?" This time Kevin smirked as Reggie blushed. There wasn't any point in hiding who he thought was attractive.

"Uh, Jason."

"That's a given. The guy was practically a _god_." They chuckled.

"Moose."

"Mm. Same, he might not be the most intelligent, but his looks _definitely_ make up for that."

"Chuck."

"Chuck?"

"Before I realized how much of a dick he was."

"Ah."

"And Archie and Jughead."

"Jughead I get, he's always had that mysterious bad boy vibe. But _Archie_? I mean, now yeah, sure. He gained a six pack over the summer, and his singing helps."

"Yeah okay, I _might_ have felt something towards him before that. But like, it's _Archie._ Are you honestly telling me you've never felt anything towards him?" Reggie smiled as Kevin blushed again and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, fine. But it's Archie's fault for being so adorable." Kevin chuckled and it was the most beautiful thing Reggie's ever heard. "Wait, is that it for the list?" Reggie pretended to think about it.

"Yeah I think so." Reggie replied, his heart pounded as Kevin tried to hide a frown.

"Oh."

"If we were only listing people of the _past_."

Reggie got a little nervous as Kevin perked up at that. He hadn't actually admitted anything to anyone, other than himself, about his feelings for Kevin.

"Alright." Kevin's voice dropped lower and Reggie's breathing hitched. "So how about in the present?" Reggie tried to swallow his nerves.

"Y-you."

Reggie blushed as Kevin smiled.

"And?"

"You."

"Good. I don't like competition when it comes to romance." Kevin smirked. Reggie blushed and released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Hey, you uh, wanna go someplace a little quieter?" Kevin asked, and glanced at Reggie's lips. Reggie glanced down towards Kevin's lips.

The tingle from their brief touch from earlier was still there. _God_ Reggie wanted it so badly!

"Yeah. I'd like that." He replied.

Kevin took his hand and lead him out of the gym.

Reggie's heart was pounding like crazy. This was happening. _Really_ happening! He couldn't hold back the large smile on his face as Kevin lead them outside to a private place, under the starry night.

"God, I've waited so long for this!" Kevin smiled and cupped the side of Reggie's face.

They leaned in closer, and closer until their lips were just centimeters apart.

"There you are!"

Shit.

The two boys jumped apart and blushed as they turned to see Betty. She seemed very pissed for some reason. Uh oh.

"What is this, _High School Musical_? Are we going to have to wait three years in order to kiss?" Kevin said in frustration. Reggie would be amused, but damn it, he was frustrated too! But he still blushed at the thought of being with Kevin for a long time.

"Sorry Kev, but your dad's been trying to get a hold of you."

"Oh. Yeah. I uh, turned my phone off."

"Okay, fine, but he just arrested Jugehead's dad."

The air around them shifted into something else.

"What? Why?" Kevin asked.

"We don't know, but we're gathering everyone up and meeting at the station. It's got something to do with Jason's case."

Kevin swore loudly. That was the first time Reggie ever heard him drop the F-bomb. Guess even the good students swear when it felt like the right moment. Betty started walking away and the two boys looked at each other and sighed.

The moment was gone.

They followed Betty and headed towards the station.

***

Cheryl jolted from her thoughts and sat up straighter on Polly's bed as her parents entered the room. She frowned at them.

"Oh Cheryl, frowning causes wrinkles." Penelope said as they closed the door.

"Guess you forgot, huh?" Cheryl hissed. Penelope glared at her.

"The ring. Where is it? It wasn't with Polly. So, where is it?"

"In a safe place."

With Jason. Cheryl had put it on his finger last time she was there. Jughead had promised to watch over it as well.

"It would have been safe with us."

"Would it?"

There was an intense pause of silence as the three Blossom's glared at each other.

"I will say this though." Cliff finally said. "Your brother rejected us. Rejected our way of life."

"I don't blame him." Cheryl spat. Her father didn't flinch.

"And after I had groomed him to take over the empire. When really, I should have been nurturing you."

Cheryl didn't say anything, so he continued.

"Because Jason never had the stomach for any of it. But you," Clifford nodded, "you're a Blossom. Through and through. You may despise us, but you have the fire and will power of a Blossom."

"Did you know?"

"I see it in you every day. Of course."

"No." Cheryl swallowed. "Did you _know_ that Jason was gay?"

There was another pause of silence. It was different from the first. Cheryl didn't know why though.

"A mother knows everything about her children Cheryl." Penelope said quietly. Cheryl frowned and looked at her father.

"I'll admit, he had me fooled. But that further proves that I should have been teaching you, and not him."

Cheryl darkened.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"The only thing that proves- _father,_ is that you knew. You _knew_ and you hated it so _much_ that you tried to change him into someone else." Cheryl stood up and walked closer to them. "Into _you_." She scoffed. "And you wonder why he tried to leave."

It happened fast.

Penelope's outstretched hand hung in the air as Cheryl tried to comprehend what had just happened.

The side of her face stung. There was a sore spot just underneath her eye where her mother's ring made contact.

"Do not speak about something you don't understand Cheryl." Clifford said.

"Get out." Cheryl hissed.

"Cheryl."

"GET. _OUT_!"

They left.

Cheryl closed the door and began to sob.

"Cheryl." Cheryl gasped as she looked up to see Polly in front of her. They must have woken her up. The drugs must not have been as strong as they thought. Good. Cheryl broke down and collapsed into Polly's arms. They stayed like that for quite a while before Cheryl calmed down. Cheryl's phone buzzed and she looked at it after wiping the last of her tears.

"Oh my god."

"Cheryl what is it?" Polly asked.

"Jughead's dad just got arrested. It has to do with Jason."

***

The group met up at the station, the Andrews' stayed with Jason. The Blossom's were already questioning Sheriff Keller. Betty sat with Kevin and Reggie, while Alice stood by them but didn't talk. Hermione was looking at Veronica but Veronica couldn't look at her. Instead she walked over and stood with Josie and their mother, who'd come along for support.

FP was being taken out of the interrogation room.

Veronica couldn't breathe properly. She was numb. She couldn't hear what anyone was saying. She didn't know if she was crying or not. She had made a horrible mistake. She broke into FP's home and brought _Archie_ with her. Sweet, kind Archie that didn't deserve that. Veronica shivered. She was cold. She was hollow. There was no more joy left inside of her. There was only guilt, sorrow, angst and loneliness.

Jughead walked up to her, his face was tear stained.

"How could you?" Jughead said. His voice was hoarse.

"I'm sorry." Her eyes stung. She just wanted to know the truth about what her father was doing, or had done.

"That _doesn't_ help anything. You and Archie went behind my back and searched my dad's trailer!"

Betty must have told him. She did the right thing. She was right. Jughead deserved to know the truth.

"Don't be mad at Archie. I asked him to come. I shouldn't have."

"That doesn't matter Veronica." Jughead sighed. "He still went. He could have told me everything, he _knew_ that I knew something was wrong. I wouldn't have been mad if he had told me. But he didn't _trust_ me. _You_ didn't trust me. You _both_ let me _down_." His voice shook. Cheryl walked over to him and hugged him.

"But we didn't find anything that connected him to Jason!"

"Well look where we are now." Polly said sternly. "You must have missed something."

"We _didn't_. This doesn't make sense! He _didn't_ kill Jason!"

"You can't know that for sure!" Penelope hissed. Sheriff Keller stepped in between them.

"He might not have killed him, but he _did_ kidnap him and hold him for a week for ransom." Sheriff Keller said.

"Oh. Well- wait. If he only held him for a week, then where the hell has he been for the past four months, since he's back and-" Veronica stopped.

The entire room went quiet as Clifford stepped forward. Penelope only stared.

"What the hell did you just say?" Clifford asked.

Veronica paled and her vision became blurry. Jughead and Cheryl stared at her in disbelief. Veronica wasn't supposed to know. She wasn't supposed to know, and she just _blurted_ it out like it was nothing! In front of FP, Alice, Hermione, _and_ the Blossom's!

She just put Jason in _danger_!

No one was saying or doing anything. All eyes were on Veronica, Sheriff Keller, and the Blossom's. Waiting to see who would make the first move.

"Jason... is _alive_?" Penelope breathed. "Where is he?"

"Now let's just-" Sheriff Keller didn't get to finish.

"Where. _Is he_?" Penelope said. "Where is my son you bastards!"

Veronica flinched and the tears started falling. The stress from the evening finally getting to her. Josie wrapped an arm around her and glared at Penelope who didn't notice.

"Now take it easy, calm down." Sheriff Keller said, trying to not let things get out of hand.

Out of the corner of her eye, Veronica saw that no one noticed Jughead and Cheryl slip away. Probably to wherever Jason was.

She couldn't believe she just did that. Reveal that _vital_ information, to the _Blossom's_ of all people. To _Hermione Lodge_. Veronica didn't even know if she was connected to all of this! But Hiram was. And they were most likely going to get back together.

_God_ , she was such an idiot! She'd made some stupid decisions before, but this has to be the stupidest!

She couldn't pay attention to what was happening around her.

Veronica spent the next hour or so cursing herself.

***

Jughead and Cheryl sneaked out of the station without anyone noticing.

"Okay we have to get to Jason before the others do. We've gotta move him and put him somewhere safer." Cheryl whispered quickly.

"Right, I think I know where. They wouldn't think to look there." Jughead said.

Once they made it out of the station, they ran. They had never been more thankful that Riverdale was a small town.

"I texted Dr. Young and Joe they're gonna meet us at Archie's." Cheryl breathed.

"Good, we'll need the help, and so will Jason."

Jughead climbed up to Archie's bedroom and Cheryl followed.

"Jughead, Cheryl? What-"

"No time Arch, _somehow_ Veronica knew about Jason and she accidentally blurted the fact that he's alive to Hermione Lodge, Alice Cooper, _and_ the Blossom's. Now we gotta get him somewhere safer. Jughead frowned as he watched Archie pale. He knew it. Jughead _knew_ it. Archie had told her. But why? Why not just tell him that? Why go behind his back and investigate his father's home with her?

"Oh god, oh god." Jughead could see Archie starting to panic, which wasn't good. But they didn't have time to deal with it. "Jughead-"

"Not now Archie. Dr. Young and Joe should be here any minute to help us move Jason to the car." Not much longer after he'd said that, the two arrived. Fred and Mary stayed by the door out of the way, and to keep watch.

"Alright, we need to be careful. He doesn't have any broken bones thankfully, that makes it easier. But he does have some deep bruises. The three of us will grab the equipment, and Joe, you can carry him." Dr. Young said as she unhooked Jason from the equipment. Jughead took off his beanie and put it on Jason's head to hide his red hair. He and Cheryl grabbed the last of the equipment and followed them downstairs leaving Archie behind. Jughead couldn't deal with him now. He'll deal with it later. He knows that Archie is panicking and is probably scared to death, but god damn it, Jughead's going to stay with Jason and protect him with his life!

Jughead and Chery got into the backseat of a car that wasn't a Blossom vehicle, but Dr. Young's vehicle. Joe gently placed Jason on top of their laps, with Jason's head in Jughead's lap. Jughead wrapped his arms around the boy protectively. Cheryl kept glancing back to see if anyone was following them. So far so good.

"We're gonna get you somewhere safe okay? You'll be safe." Jughead whispered so the others couldn't hear. Though he wasn't sure if he was telling Jason that, or trying to convince himself of that. They were the _good guys_ , they had to win, right? But this was the real world.

Sometimes the bad guys _did_ win.

Jughead swallowed and kept his eyes on Jason as he gave Dr. Young directions. He knew that _nobody_ would think to look where they were headed. Once there, the teens helped lift Jason out and Jughead banged on the door of the building.

Dilton Doily opened the front door to the Ranger Scout Headquarters and frowned. Jughead could see behind him, that there was a meeting going on. He didn't _want_ to put fear in the young boys, but, well...

"What the hell do you guys want?" Dilton asked, eyes hard.

"Help." Jughead stated. Dilton's eyes shifted to gaze behind Jughead and Cheryl, at the two adults. Namely, Joe who was carrying Jason. It was dark and Jason was well covered so Dilton couldn't easily see who it really was.

"What- what is that?" Jughead had to give Dilton props on his acting skills. Guess that came with being a crazy survivalist.

"That's what we need help with. We'll explain if you let us in. No one knows we're here. We _need_ to _hide_. We'll all be safe, I'm sure. Dilton, _please_ we'll owe you big time."

There was a pause of silence as Dilton hesitated.

"Fine." Dilton opened the door wider to let them in. Curiosity was plain on all of the boy's faces, until they saw Jason and paled with fear.

"Is that a _body_?!" Dilton whispered harshly as he closed the door.

"It's Jason." Cheryl said.

"A _dead body_?" Dilton's voice was all but a squeak, and Jughead didn't blame him.

"No, Jason was never dead. We're not sure what happened, and he's the only one that knows for sure." Jughead explained as Dr. Young and Joe set Jason up on a cot nearby. There wasn't a bedroom or anything, so they had to make do with what they had. Survive. Jughead explained everything that had happened so far, and Dilton paled a bit by the time he was finished.

"Shit." he said. He went over to the door and bolted every lock on it and brought out a gun... Most likely the one he shot on July fourth. Wow. This _literally_ was probably the safest place for them right now.

Cheryl cleared her throat as Jughead sat down in a chair beside her and Jason. "Why the hell do _you_ have a _gun_?"

The room got even _more_ quiet if that were possible.

"Oh. Yeah. Dilton _might_ have been the one to shoot the gun on July fourth?" Jughead said sheepishly. Cheryl gave him a look.

"So, we ran away from a couple of nut cases, and you lead us straight into the home of _another_ nut case?"

Dilton frowned at Cheryl.

"Hard core survivalist?" Jughead shrugged.

"Jughead!"

"He's doing us a _huge_ favour, and no one would think to look here okay? Now we can at least rest for a bit."

Cheryl sighed. "Okay. Yeah. Alright listen up Nerd Scouts." Cheryl barked. A few boys jumped and straightened out from their slumped positions

" _Ranger_ Scouts." Dilton huffed. Cheryl just rolled her eyes.

 Jughead held back a smirk.

"No one says _anything_ about _any of this_ to _anyone_. Not even your parents. If you do, you'll be putting Jason's life in danger. Not to mention ours, _and_ yours. So, no texts, no phone calls, and no rumours. If you _do_. The guilt will eat you _alive_. Nobody answers that door for _anything_ without our approval. Understood?!"

"Sir! Yes Sir!" the Scouts said in unison, a few saluted.

Cheryl smiled, pleased with the results. "Congrats Doily, I _will_ give you props for having them well trained. Even if you _are_ a nut case."

" _Hard core_ survivalist." Dilton sighed. "You _each_ owe me big time for this."

"We won't forget this Dilton. You saved our lives. Thank you." Cheryl said with a smile and a nod, and went back to her seat beside Jughead.

"Hey Cheryl?" Dilton said. She looked at him. "You'd make a great leader." She smiled in thanks.

"I just sent a text to Betty saying that we we're safe, but can't say where we are." Jughead said as Dilton rolled over a rotating chalkboard and put it just in front of them, blocking them from the doorway.

"Just in case someone comes knocking. It'll be like you were never here so long as you don't make a sound if they come." Dilton explained. The three of them exchanged numbers so they could talk privately. The Scouts proceeded what they were doing before and Jughead finally let himself relax a little bit. If they were ever going to get some sleep, it'd be now while they were here. They were in it for the long haul. He made a mental note to buy Joe and Dr. Young some gifts as a thank you. They wouldn't have gotten here without them.

Cheryl moved her seat closer to Jughead and leaned her head on his shoulder. He rested his head on top of hers and wrapped his arm around her. The two kept their eyes on Jason and prayed to whoever was up there for the best.

After a while, Jughead found himself thinking about Archie.

He was still mad at him, and couldn't quite forgive him just yet but... he did feel bad about not talking to him about it and leaving him like he did. He didn't have much of a choice, but he still felt badly about it. He knew Archie had started to panic, and Jughead had just- _left_ him there. He probably blames himself for everything that went down. Jughead's heart ached at the image of Archie in tears, blaming himself. Eventually Jughead nodded off into a dreamless sleep.

***

About half an hour or so after Jughead and Cheryl came and went with Jason, Archie heard frantic knocks on the door. His parents got quiet downstairs. They had told him to stay in his room. He swallowed. How could things get so screwed up in a matter of hours?

Archie sat on his bed where Jason used to be, his legs curled up to his chest with his arms wrapped around them. He tried to stop the tears from falling. He failed.

This was _all_ his fault.

If he _hadn't_ told Veronica, none of this would have happened.

He'd lied to Jughead, and now he felt betrayed. He had a right to be. Archie freaking, went behind his back! He should have told Jughead everything when he'd asked what was wrong damn it. Now Jughead probably wanted to break up with him. Archie felt a sharp pain in his gut at the thought. But maybe he's better off alone. He tried to get his breathing straight but it wasn't working.

Archie heard arguing downstairs, but he couldn't concentrate on anything.

How could he have screwed up so badly? He'd put the ones he loved most in danger!

Suddenly the door to his room burst open to reveal a pissed off Penelope and Clifford Blossom. Archie swallowed and wiped the tears off his face. His parents were right behind them and stepped in between the Blossom's and Archie.

" _Where_ is he?!" Clifford barked causing Archie to flinch. Archie wasn't in the right mindset for any of this and didn't respond.

"Not here!" Fred said loudly. Archie didn't flinch, but he did close his eyes and bury his face in his arms. He couldn't face anyone. Not after what he did.

"You come anywhere _near_ my son and I _will_ hurt you." Mary threatened. "And you _both_ know what I'm capable of."

"Oh _please._ As if you could take _us_ on." Penelope scoffed. "Do you even _know_ what kind of training _we've_ got?"

"Penelope." Clifford said. She stopped. "We're done here."

Archie heard their footsteps leave the room and the door close.

He was alone now.

As he _should_ be. He only hurt people. Only made things worse. So, it's better that he remains alone.

That way he can't hurt anybody.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. That escalated quickly! lol
> 
> I'm gonna be starting write the next chapter that goes into episode twelve, so hopefully you'll be able to get that chapter soon! :D


	15. I Hit the Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in between episode 11 and episode 12.  
> The aftermath of the last chapter.
> 
> Oh and the whole incest thing? Yeah that doesn't happen in this story. It just doesn't work with this story arch. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT ENDED! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  
> Also *SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 13*  
> Holy crap poor Cheryl!  
> The other's just kind of ditched her when they figured she was fine didn't they?  
> SHE TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE!!!! Archie freaking broke his hand punching ICE for her. Then they just went to the jubilee thing.   
> >:( I'm disappointed in them. She may be a bitch, but she at least deserves someone to be there for her! Her own mother didn't even care!

Archie laid on his bed and buried his face in his pillow. His face was tear stained, but there were no fresh tears. He'd cried himself dry. He'd cried himself to sleep apparently as well. He doesn't remember lying down though. He woke up feeling sad, angry, and empty. His vision was blurred a little bit. Archie yawned and rubbed his eyes until his vision was clear. He looked at the clock.

It was four-thirty am.

He sighed, and closed his eyes again.

The bed still smelled differently than what it used to smell like, which meant that it smelled like Jason. Thinking of Jason made his whole body seize in pain as it reminded him of what went down last night. He felt numb. But the pain was still present. It never let Archie forget. Never went away. He felt sick. He heard his phone buzz and searched for it. He picked it up and turned over onto his back, but he didn't look at the phone. He didn't really feel like talking to anyone. He shouldn't. He should just remain alone and not cause any more trouble. He squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds and sighed. He glanced at the phone.

**Betty: Hey Arch. How are you doing? I can't sleep. Sorry if I woke you up.**

Archie glanced over at the window at Betty's window. The lights were off and the curtains were drawn in. He swallowed. He had just found the will to reply when someone started calling him."

Jughead.

He answered.

_"Archie?"_

His voice sounded sad and tired. He was whispering which meant the others, whoever he was with, was asleep. Cheryl, Jason... probably the twin's doctor. Archie wasn't sure who else would be with them. Archie swallowed and put the phone to his ear.

"Jug." Archie's voice was hoarse from crying.

_"Sorry, if I woke you up. I know it's late I just..."_ Jughead took in a deep breath and let it out. _"I'm sorry about leaving you like that."_ Archie swallowed, his throat stinging in the process.

"You had no choice. Jason had to be safe. _You_ had to be safe. Wasn't safe here." Archie internally cursed as his voice cracked near the end. He closed his eyes.

There was a moment of silence, and for a few seconds, Archie wasn't sure if Jughead was on the other end still.

_"I..."_ Jughead hesitated and Archie heard him sniff. He was crying. Or trying not to cry. _"Don't you_ dare _blame yourself for any of this Archie. I know how you get sometimes. It's not your fault. People were going to know the truth sooner or later. I'm not angry at you."_

"Jughead..." Archie shook with pain. "It _is_ my fault that it was sooner rather than later. If I hadn't told Veronica it wouldn't have happened like this. It-" He swallowed. "It might not have put anyone in danger." There was another pause before Jughead poke.

_"No, Archie. Things happen for a reason."_ He paused. _"I love you, Archie."_

Archie could hear the "but" that Jughead didn't want to say. Archie closed his eyes to stop the sting. "But?"

_"I-I think we should take a break."_

The words hit him like a slap to the face. Archie bit his lip to hold back a sob. His eyes became watery, but he didn't let tears fall. Not yet.

_"I don't want to break up with you. I love you. I..."_ Jughead paused, and Archie could hear him take a deep breath. _"I think we just need a break for now. But don't take that as a break up Archie. Just a break until all of this is over, when we find out what's happening, when Jason wakes up. Then we can see each other again. For now, me, Cheryl and Jason have to stay hidden. We can't keep in contact with anyone. Not until this thing gets solved."_

Archie swallowed.

"I understand." Despite his efforts, his voice still sounded shaky.

_"I love you Archie Andrews. Don't ever forget that."_

Archie felt a few tears fall.

"I love you too."

Archie heard Jughead end the call. He couldn't hold back a sob as he put the phone down and muffled it with his hands. He flipped over onto his stomach and buried his face in the pillow. He knew he and Jughead weren't breaking up, but that didn't stop the pain.

***

Jughead put his cell phone down on the floor. He muffled his sobs, he didn't want to wake the others. It was late- or early depending on how one looked at it- almost five in the morning. Jughead didn't sleep at all. Couldn't. Cheryl, Joe, and Dr. Young could sleep for a few hours here and there but Jughead stayed away. He'd tried to sleep, but he was plagued with thoughts of his boyfriend, his friends, and his father. He still felt guilty for leaving Archie when he was panicking. He knew that Archie hadn't been doing well this year. He knows that Archie tends to think low of himself, and blames himself for a lot of stuff that he couldn't control. He just can't help it. Jughead desperately wanted to go back to Archie and comfort him, and _be there_ , but they both know that he can't. He has to be with Jason and Cheryl. They both need him. Need _someone_. Jughead vowed to stay by their sides until the end. He loved Cheryl, they were siblings. And he is in love with Jason.

Jughead knew that it would be a while before Jason would no longer be afraid. Jason would still try to hide, no doubt. Deny who he really is. He will probably even have PTSD from getting kidnapped, or just from living with the evil people that were his parents. He will probably have some sort of anxiety disorder. He'll put up a front and say that he's fine, when he's far from it. Of course, before all of that, he'll be disorientated when he first wakes up. And it will be a while before he's able to do more than rest.

But Jughead will be there every step of the way, Cheryl as well.

Together they'll help Jason become comfortable with who he is. They'll help him become confident and lose the fear.

Then Jughead will tell Jason that he loves him. He'll kiss Jason until he can't stand without leaning on Jughead for support. Hopefully Jason will be able to fall for Archie as well, and together the three of them can be happy.

Jughead's tears had slowed to a stop and he wiped his face. Exhaustion soon took over his body as he walked back over to where he and Cheryl had their make-shift bed. Just some blankets Dilton had left for them, and some pillows. The boy had also brought some for Jason so he'd be more comfortable on the cot. Jughead smiled down at Jason.

They're a _long_ way from true happiness. But they'll get there eventually with each other's support and guidance.

Jughead bent down and placed a gentle kiss on Jason's forehead.

He jumped back when Jason suddenly breathed in deeply, and _moved_ closer to him. A small, tiny content sound came from the back of Jason's throat as he let out the breath. Jason's breathing soon became normal after that. Jughead stared wide-eyed as he debated whether he needed to wake up the others.

But Jason didn't wake up.

The room was quiet.

"He's close to waking up."

Jughead nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned to look at Dr. Young who stood beside him. She did her routinely check over Jason.

Shit. How long had she been awake?

"He's no longer in a coma now." Dr. Young whispered. "It's more like he's... under a sleeping spell." Jughead blushed as a smirk appeared on her face. "Love one another and help others to rise to the higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious and the greatest healing energy." Dr. Young smiled a put a hand on Jughead's shoulder. "Stay close to him." Jughead could only nod. "But also try to sleep. It's not healthy to stay awake for too long. Joe and I are light sleepers, we'll wake you if anything changes."

Jughead nodded again. He went over to the bed and laid down. Content with feeling the exhaustion take over him, Jughead smiled as the scene of Jason moving and _finally_ making a sound stayed fresh in his mind.

Jason was going to wake up.

Hopefully sooner rather than later.

***

Cheryl woke up feeling weirdly content. She really _shouldn't_ be so content after the events of the night before. But she was. She really couldn't figure out _why_ she was so content. She was still in the Ranger Scout headquarters, in hiding with Jughead, watching over Jason- Who was _still_ unconscious. Clifford and Penelope _knew_ Jason was alive and were on the hunt. Along with others. Judging by that scenario, she really shouldn't be so content. So, why was she?

She felt well rested. Jughead was asleep beside her. Joe was giving a quick peak outside to check their surroundings. Dr. Young was checking over Jason. Dilton had apparently gone out and bought them some food. That was nice of him. She sat up and yawned.

"Oh, good. You're awake." Dr. Young whispered, glancing over at her with a smile. "Jason made some progress a few hours ago."

Cheryl shot up like a rocket and practically ran over to her twin. "Really?!" she tried to be as quiet as she could, Jughead was still asleep. But it was hard when she was excited! She watched Jason's even breathing.

"Oh yes. He hasn't woken up yet, but he's no longer in a coma. He's merely asleep. A deep one at that. The change happened at around five. He had responded to Jughead. I believe their love is strong. I'd say it's almost like magic. He could in fact, wake up at any moment. Jughead unfortunately hadn't fallen asleep until just after it happened. So, he most likely won't be waking up in the next few hours."

Cheryl glanced over at Jughead who had turned over onto his stomach and had his arms around the pillow. She felt badly that Jughead hadn't slept until _five am_ , but she was happy that he was now. She smiled widely. So. _That's_ why she's so content. She and Jason may not have that twin-telepathy, but they can sort of "sense" what each other is feeling. Obviously, Jason was content. Cheryl sat down in the closest chair and held her brother's hand in hers. He was going to wake up soon! And then he and Jughead could finally be together, and _happy_! If anyone deserved it, it was them. She frowned though as she noticed a few scars on Jason's face.

"Do you have an idea of how his injuries came to be?" Cheryl asked.

"Sadly, I can't say for sure. Just that most of them were inflicted on him by another person. But who and why, we still don't know." Dr. Young frowned. "But, if I had to guess, I'd say it's very similar to what happened to your friends." Cheryl looked at her.

"Archie and Reggie?"

Dr. Young nodded.

So, they _could_ be connected. They had only assumed that due to the target painted on Reggie. But if what happened to Jason _was_ like that, then... there was a good chance that Jason won't actually remember what happened.

"What would have made them forget what happened?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure. The only thing I can think of, is that whatever _did_ happen, was so traumatizing that their subconscious blocked it out. They don't want to remember." Dr. Young shrugged. Cheryl nodded.

"I guess. Who _would_ want to remember getting tortured?"

"He was also very malnourished and dehydrated."

"Archie and Jughead had said that it he looked like he had run a non-stop marathon."

"That was why he passed out. He had a few physical injuries, such as that cut on his arm, other more minor cuts and bruises, and a slightly twisted ankle. His left hand was injured, but not broken. Those were not inflicted upon him by his kidnapper, those were just by accident. Adrenaline, fear, and torture can make us forget or numb to such things. He was running away from _someone_. My conclusion was that he had fallen quite a few times while running. He wasn't in the right head space to watch where his feet went. He probably didn't even know where he was going."

Cheryl held Jason's hand and gently squeezed it. Why would anyone do that? Even if they deserved it, how twisted would someone have to be to decide to _torture_ them?

"So, was it just a coincidence that he ended up with Archie and Jughead?"

There was a moment of silence. That silence was the most deafening thing Cheryl had ever heard. It was a few seconds before Dr. Young spoke.

"I have no idea. But- and I'm not trying to quote Disney- love always seems to find a way."

***

Polly crept down the stairs of the Thornhill mansion, carrying her suitcase.

_Squeak._

She gave a very quiet gasp and paused. She looked around. No one. Good. She had to escape _now_. This was her only chance. She carried on down the stairs and quietly walked towards the front door.

A hand grabbed her shoulder and she let out a gasp.

"Polly. You'll set off the alarm if you go through there. They have one of the _best_ security systems in America."

She turned around to see one of the housekeepers. She was only a few years older than Polly. Early twenties. A few of the housekeepers lived in the mansion as well, they paid quite a bit, but hey. They live in a _mansion_. There were more than just housekeepers working at Thornhill, but Polly mostly only saw the housekeepers when she walked around the place. Most of the people working here were not poor or in desperate need of a job. The Blossom's did _not_ settle for less. They only hired the best.

Polly had gotten to know some of the workers at Thornhill during her stay. Sometimes it was just her and them in the house, so she decided to make the best of it. She even asked them if they knew anything about what happened to Jason. They didn't know much more than she did though.

"I can't exactly fit through a window, Kichi. Let alone climb down the building." Polly whispered back, gesturing towards her large stomach. Kichi sighed and looked around.

"I might know another way, come on." Kichi said. She grabbed Polly's hand and lead her down one of the hallways and into one of the living rooms.

"But Kichi, there's only one door in this room, and it's the one we just went through." Polly said. Kichi shook her head.

"I overheard a few of the other girls saying that there was some hidden door that lead to the graveyard. There's no security system connected to it so it'd be safe." Kichi said looking around the room. "We uh, just have to find it."

"Okay, I guess. So, let's start pulling and pushing on the decorations, and pressing every single brick in the walls." Polly said with a nod. And they went to work.

After about an hour of searching, both girls sighed. "Kichi, are you _sure_ it was _this_ room?"

"Yeah!" Kichi paused. "I think."

"Kichi!"

"Well they were talking about while being in this room!"

"That doesn't mean they meant that it was _in_ this room! We just waisted an hour."

"Well I'm sorry okay?" Kichi sighed and turned to lean against the wall closest to her. "I'm not some super spy that knows every single- ah!" The bricks she had leaned against suddenly collapsed- leaving a hole in the wall that looked very much like a _doorway_.

"Ha! I knew it! Lucky _break_ huh?" Kichi smiled widely as she got up from the pile of bricks.

Polly, despite being tired and slightly annoyed, smiled at the joke. Now she had a way out. Polly grabbed her suitcase. "Thanks, Kichi! I owe you one."

"Hey wait! Let me come with!" Kichi said as Polly stepped over the bricks.

"What? I'm only going home."

Kichi rolled her eyes and was obviously holding back a sigh. Kichi was a very animated person.

"You're a _pregnant_ teenager- that's now well known, I might add- that will be walking around the dark woods, and the city _at night_." She had a point. "Plus, it's against the law for teens to walk _anywhere_ alone. And I feel the need to remind you. YOU. ARE. _PREGNANT._ " She at least had the smarts to not say that very loudly. She wasn't always thinking ahead.

"Okay! You can come with me." Polly said, and scoffed when Kichi shot a fist in the air and mouthed _thank you_. "You can be my clumsy body guard."

"Polly, we've been over this. I'm _lucky_. Not clumsy. I'll be your good luck charm instead of a body guard. I don't exactly know any moves. Now help me with these bricks." Kichi began to stack the bricks back up.

"I feel the need to remind you. I'M _PREGNANT._ " The two giggled.

"Okay, okay! I'll stack them myself. We'll be outta here in no time! I couldn't care less if I lose my job, I can find a job somewhere else."

"Hey, what are you doing up this late anyway?" Polly asked, genuinely curious.

"This is the best time to raid the pantry."

"Kichi!"

"Of the _good_ snacks, and not so much that they'll notice!"

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as Kichi stacked the bricks. After a while, she was done and she brushed off the dirt on her hands. "See? No time- shit." Kichi stared ahead at the graveyard. It was pretty creepy. There was a fog from the river that gave it some extra creepiness. "That. Is _creepy_. I've never been to a graveyard at night before. What if something jumped out at us?"

"Kichi, nothing will pop out at us. Those stories are just that. Stories."

"I _know_ , I'm just saying. Like, what would you do in that scenario?"

"Scream?"

"Huh. Ordinary. I'd scream probably too, _but_ , I'd find the closest weapon and attack! Self-defense."

"I thought you said you had no moves."

"I know how to grab something close by and just hit it like crazy."

"Ah."

The two girls started walking, when Polly stopped briefly to look at Jason's grave. Only, she now knew that Jason wasn't actually _in it_. So, question is, who or what _was_? Kichi put a hand on her shoulder. Right, only those that were at the station when Veronica let it slip knew. The two girls kept walking.

***

Betty sighed as she stared up at the ceiling above her bed. Archie hadn't texted back. She'd peaked out the window just a little to see if he was awake. He was crying. Or he looked like he was crying. She couldn't see his face, or the rest of him all that well in the dark, but his body was shaking slightly. Poor Archie. His words from a few months ago replayed over and over in her mind.

_"I won't ever be good enough for you." She stopped walking, but didn't turn around. Archie swallowed. He really had liked her before he realized his feelings for Jughead were just a little bit stronger. But then he got left behind and things changed. Things always change. Especially when they're going good for once. "I just... I can't seem to live up to expectations. I- I won't ever be good enough for you, for Jughead or for anyone because I keep screwing up. Somehow I always end up screwing up every good thing in my life. No matter how hard I try to avoid it. It just seems like every single decision I make is wrong." He's rambling now, but he can't stop once he's started. Plus, Betty has turned back around and is staring at him. Slightly surprised, but slightly not. At what, he's not sure. His face feels wet which means he's crying. Shit, the one thing he didn't want to do. He can't even do that right. "I hurt Jughead, you, Veronica, I even hurt my dad by lying to him! I'm not good enough for anyone! I just... I just want it to stop. I want it to stop but it won't. It won't stop. I don't seem to be in control of my life anymore. And I don't know what to do anymore. I just... I don't know..." His voice cracked and he stopped to try and calm his breathing. "But I-I know I don't deserve any of you as friends. I don't deserve anyone as friends. I'd just hurt them. So I understand if- if none of you ever want to speak to me again."_

Betty was worried about him. Archie was no doubt blaming himself for what happened. He feels like he keeps making mistakes and that everything is his fault when it's not. He really needed a friend right now, but Betty wasn't sure if it should be her. Who he _needed_ was Jughead. But he needed to be with Jason and Cheryl. Especially Jason. Betty was sure that she wasn't the only one that noticed the fact that Jughead had fallen for him. Not to mention Archie. She just hoped that they could move past this and be happy together again. They needed each other.

But the Blossom's were on the hunt for their son, and probably Cheryl and Jughead as well. They needed to stay hidden from them. Who knows what kind of twisted things the Blossom's would do to them if they found them? At least Jughead had texted Betty and said that they were safe. That's good. But they couldn't say anything more. Wherever they were, Betty hoped that Jason was making progress and would wake up soon. Only he knew what really happened to him. Yes, Veronica had put them in danger, but she also had a point.

If FP had only kidnapped Jason and held him _for a week_ , then where the hell had he been for the past few _months_? It just didn't make any sense. On top of that, FP seemed surprised by the fact that Jason was alive. Had he thought he'd killed him, or did he just not know for sure and assumed that he was dead? FP wasn't going to say anything any time soon. He was loyal to the Serpents. He wouldn't give up names or what happened just like that.

Who put Jason's body double there in Sweetwater River? And _why_? Did Jason have a hit man after him? If so, were they hired, or did they decide to go after the Blossom's themselves? If they were hired, they could have known that they failed to kill Jason and made a body double to fake his death. The person that had hired them might have gone after _them_ if they had known that their target was still alive. It's all Betty could think of to have any of this make some kind of sense!

And what about what happened to Archie and Reggie? Was it even related to Jason? They really just assumed that due to the target painted on Reggie's forehead. They didn't get a confirmation from the person or _people_ doing these things. How come neither of them could remember what happened? Why was it just a blank spot in their memory? _How_ could that have happened? Was there some kind of drug that was able to erase memories? God this was all so messed up! Betty groaned and turned over onto her side. Her eyes landed on her phone that she'd placed to the side a few seconds ago.

Thinking of Reggie reminded her that she was going to talk to Kevin about what was going on between the two boys. It was pretty obvious now that there was _something_ there. They were probably going to kiss at the dance before Betty had interrupted them. She _almost_ felt badly for doing so, but it was an emergency. Betty just wasn't sure how serious Kevin and Reggie's _thing_ \- was it even a relationship? - was. She glanced at the clock on her phone.

Five.

Well, if she had to guess, judging by the fact that her and Archie were still awake, they most likely weren't the only ones. Hm...

***

Kevin didn't sleep. Not after everything that had happened that evening. But, Reggie wasn't able to sleep either, so they ended up watching a bunch of stuff on Netflix to take their minds off it. Kevin looked over at Reggie.

The other boy had apparently decided to use Kevin as a pillow, and seemed to be dozing off. Reggie's arms were wrapped around Kevin, and Kevin had wrapped his own arm around Reggie to bring him closer. Kevin smiled. Reggie looked like he was finally at peace. For the next few moments Kevin watched Reggie fall into a deep sleep. Kevin felt exhausted, having stayed up practically all night, but he couldn't sleep. He was even _super_ comfortable right now, and yet- sleep evaded him. But he was happy to watch Reggie, even if it sounded kind of creepy. Kevin's heart pounded as Reggie shifted and buried his face in Kevin's shirt. Kevin smiled widely. He loved moments like these. Just peaceful, and quiet. Just him and Reggie. Kevin leaned in and kissed Reggie's hair. A small noise of content escaped Reggie as he dreamed on.

Kevin's mind flashed back to the evening before. The reason why he couldn't sleep.

Jason was alive. The Blossom's were on the hunt, and Cheryl and Jughead were now hiding. Kevin just... couldn't believe it. So many new questions rose with this new information. It made his head hurt. He shook his head and changed his thought process to Reggie.

Kevin was still kind of peeved that the closest thing they've had to a kiss was the brief moment just before the dance. He still felt the adrenaline and the tingly feeling on his lips left him wanting more.

_Buzz, buzz._

Kevin reached for his phone and turned down the volume so that it didn't wake up Reggie. The boy seriously needed some sleep. He looked at the text. Guess he wasn't the only one awake tonight.

**Betty to Kevin: Hey Kev, sorry if I woke you up, but how are you and Reggie?**

Kevin smiled. Despite the change of events, they were doing pretty well. Reggie was opening up more and slowly returning to his old self. Slowly, but he was getting there. He still needed to stand up to his parents and tell them what they're doing wrong, but... maybe Kevin can help with that.

**Kevin to Betty: We're alright. Tired, but alright. Reggie's asleep.**

**Betty to Kevin: That's good. :) But Kev, can I ask? What's the deal with you two?**

Kevin glanced at Reggie. Even he wasn't sure himself really. Kevin liked to think that they're slowly making their way to being boyfriends. He knew that Reggie has feelings for him. Kevin definitely felt something for Reggie in return. But they haven't really defined what their relationship was. They were both so new at this. This was Reggie's first time being with a guy, and Kevin's first _real_ relationship- if he can call it that. He just didn't want to screw it up.

He'd already broke it off with Joaquin, accepting that that wasn't real. Kevin definitely wanted to keep moving forward with Reggie.

**Kevin to Betty: I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure. I know we both really like each other.**

**Betty to Kevin: Just be careful okay? I don't want either of you getting hurt.**

**Kevin to Betty: Don't worry. :) I'm sure we're gonna take it slowly.**

**Betty to Kevin: :)**

Feeling like that was the end of the conversation, Kevin turned off his phone. He leaned into Reggie, and rested his head on top of Reggie's hair and closed his eyes. In just a few minutes he was fast asleep.

***

Veronica wiped the last of her tears off her face. She'd done enough crying for the night. Now she was just numb. But she still felt the pain of guilt. This was _all_ her fault! It's thanks to her that Jason was in danger. Not to mention Cheryl and Jughead who were probably with him. Wherever they were, she hoped they stayed safe. She couldn't believe how selfish she had been. Archie was probably blaming himself.

Archie.

Shit.

Archie needed someone right now. Veronica shot up and got dressed. Might as well start the day, the sun was already coming up. She needed to make things right between her and Archie. She completely betrayed him. She quietly walked through the house and disabled the alarm. She rearmed it when she stepped outside. She knew she was technically breaking the law by walking on the streets of Riverdale alone, but she couldn't care less. Veronica made sure she wasn't seen anyway. She was also tougher than most people gave her credit for. Eventually she came to the Andrews' house and walked around to where Archie's bedroom window was. She looked around at the ground and found a few small stones. She chucked them up at the window, the sound ringing in her ears like a bomb in the silence.

After a few minutes of waiting, Archie hadn't come. She tried again, and again, and again. Until finally after about twenty minutes, Archie came. He looked a little annoyed, but his gaze softened when he saw Veronica. He'd been crying just like she had. For the same reason. He gave her a questioning look, and she took out her cell phone and texted him.

**Ronnie to Archie: Hey, can we talk?**

Archie seemed to hesitate, but he nodded. They met at the front door, where Archie let her in. Veronica followed him to the kitchen where he started making coffee. They sat in silence until each of them had a cup.

"It's not your fault Archie."

"But it is! Veronica, if I hadn't told you-"

"People would have found out eventually. It was inevitable."

Archie stayed quiet and stared at his cup of coffee.

"We can go back and forth like this until we die, but nothing will change what had already happened. We can't change the past. But we _can_ move forward. We can try to make things right. If we don't, we'll be stuck drowning in sorrow and guilt for the rest of our lives." Veronica sighed and took a sip of her coffee. Damn that tasted good. Archie stayed quiet for a few minutes, letting her words sink in.

"Jughead called me. Last night." He paused and glanced at her, and she nodded for him to continue. "He said... that we should take a break." His voice cracked and Veronica's heart sunk. She knew what those words meant.

"Archie..."

"Not break up," he said quickly, "just a break. Until this is over." Veronica nodded. Archie swallowed. "That doesn't stop it from feeling like a break up though."

Veronica frowned and held Archie's hand in hers. "The best we can do now, is to try and look forward. Hope for the best. It might be dark but we just have to keep shooting until we hit something. It might take weeks, months, or just days. But we'll get there. It's hard, but, that's the way life is. It's hard."

Archie sighed. "I wish it wasn't."

"Me too. Riverdale's a mess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure when the next chapter will be up, but hopefully soon!  
> Only two left! AH! (Unless one or both become two parts. lol)


	16. You Hit the Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGERS  
> Probably. I think.

Home.

The word can have multiple meanings to everyone. The meaning can be as diverse as humanity. To some, home can mean sanctuary. Love. Warmth. Happiness. Security. Strength. Rest. Hope.

Safety.

A place to belong. To others, it can mean despair. Horror. Fear. Darkness. Prison. Lies. Secrets. Stress. Danger.

Isolation.

But what is a home? Is it a physical, or a metaphorical? Is it one thing or multiple things? Is it obvious, or hidden? A dream, or a nightmare?

Right in front of you, or too far to reach…

* * *

 

Veronica sipped the last of her coffee and sighed. This conversation that she and Archie had just had didn’t make her feel any better. In fact, she felt exactly the same as before. Just more awake thanks to the coffee. Ugh. She glanced at Archie. He sat there and stared at his coffee cup, deep in thought. Veronica frowned. She didn’t know what to do or say. She didn’t know how to make it better. Some friend she is. She came over here to try and comfort Archie. And maybe herself. But she’s pretty sure none of that happened. Sometimes saying the words “move on” doesn’t always help. Okay, she didn’t _exactly_ say it like that. But she might as well have. Veronica held back another sigh. She didn’t need to make anyone feel worse. But she did. Unintentionally, but it still happened.

_Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!_

The knocks on the front door continued until Archie went over and opened it. His eyes widened as he was pushed out of the way by-

The Blossom’s.

Shit.

Veronica got off the chair and stood by Archie. If anyone was going to fight the Kardashian’s it should be her. This was _her_ mess. Archie looked like he was ready to panic, so Veronica had to step up. She was scared as hell but she had to do _something_. Penelope glared at her. Glared wasn’t even the right word. She looked almost… _mad_. As in insane.

“Where. Is. He.”

It wasn’t a question. That much was clear. Veronica swallowed. But Archie answered before she could.

“We don’t know.”

Penelope scoffed with a “ha!”. “Please. We know that he was _here_ of all places. You much know where they went.”

“We don’t. And even if we did, you think we’d _tell_ you?” Veronica hissed.

“Well, you’ve already screwed up haven’t you?”

“Hey, it’s not her fault!” Archie barked. Veronica swallowed. “I’m the one that told her-”

“And if you hadn’t, she wouldn’t have given us that vital information. That our son, the one we _buried_ is alive!”

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe you should dig up the grave to see who or what you put in it? That might give us some answers!”

“Avoiding the question. Typical.” Cliff accused.

“I’m not avoiding anything. We don’t know where they went!”

“What’s going on!?” Mary’s voice made the room go quiet. They turned to see her and Fred walk towards the Blossom’s. They stood in front of the two teenagers. “Get out of our house. What gives you the right to come _in_?”

“The fact that our son was here. That’s what!” Penelope stalked up to Mary until there were a mere inch apart. “You and your pitiful failure of a son are hiding them!”

The sharp clap of a slap echoed throughout the room.

Penelope stepped back as Mary stepped forward, her hand spread wide.

“You insult my family again, and I _will_ make your life even more hellish than you think it already is. Get. Out.”

“Fine.” Penelope huffed. “But know this. We _will_ find our son.

“This is all your fault Lodge. It’s _your_ fault they went into hiding. Don’t forget it.” Clifford said quietly to Veronica. “Your family will have what’s coming to them. You’re all a mistake.”

The Blossom’s left, closing the door with a bang. Veronica didn’t even have the time or guts to say that she wasn’t a Lodge anymore. Point is, Clifford was right. This _was_ her fault. If she hadn’t said anything, the others wouldn’t be hiding God knows where.

She shouldn’t be here. Not with the Andrew’s. She screwed them over. What gave her the right to come over? She had to leave. Now.

“Ronnie, don’t listen to him.” Archie tried to reason. “You’re not a Lodge anymore. This isn’t- Veronica!”

She ran.

She didn’t look back. She didn’t see the Blossom’s smirk, or the Andrew’s worried expressions. She didn’t hear Vegas’ whine or bark. She just _ran_. Veronica didn’t know where she was going, but she didn’t care. She just had to get away. She didn’t care that she was on her own. She didn’t care about rules.

Eventually, she slowed down. Needed air. It was then she realized that she ran back to the McCoy house. She felt exhausted. She blinked as she took in a few deep breaths. Her face felt wet. She was crying. She didn’t care. Veronica sighed loudly. It was early morning, there wasn’t anyone around to look over. She looked at the big building, and walked up the steps. Mechanically, she walked up to her bedroom and decided to take a shower to clear her head. Numbly she walked right past Josie who had just woken up and was looking at her worriedly, but held back a few questions. Now was not a good time.

Veronica closed her bedroom door behind her and started to undress. She ran the water and got in. The hot water felt good, but it didn’t make her feel better. It also didn’t make her forget. She turned the water hotter. The burn didn’t help her forget. Didn’t help her move on and fix things. Didn’t take away the pain on the inside. She turned the water cold.

Same thing.

She sighed and turned it off. She needed a distraction. She stood there, naked in the shower and leaned against the wall. She needed _something_. She didn’t want to sit by and watch everything fall apart because of her. A dull ache pulsed in her chest. It seemed as though it were a permanent feeling. Her permanent hell on earth. Reminding her of everything she did wrong in life. Every person she’d ever hurt. Betrayed. She swallowed the lump in her throat but no tears came. She cried herself dry last night. But the feeling was still there. It was like she was trapped. Stuck, with nowhere to go.

She sighed again.

Veronica stepped out of the shower and put on a slim white tank top and thin white leggings. That’s all she brought into the bathroom. With her hair hanging wet, she opened the door, the cool air hitting her instantly. That’s when she noticed.

This wasn’t her room.

Well, it was _a_ bedroom. Definitely the one that she had been sleeping in and was beginning to make her own ever since she moved into the McCoy house but…

Her stuff wasn’t there. Her clothes were in a few suitcases. A backpack laid on the bed with her school supplies. She’d never used a _backpack_ before in her life. Never needed one. Not even in elementary or middle school. So why was it there? Why were her things packed up? This wasn’t her room anymore. Not caring that she was only in a tank top and leggings and her hair was still wet, she walked down the stairs to find Sierra at the kitchen table writing on some papers. She didn’t look up at her when Veronica walked in. Josie was sitting next to her having breakfast. Her eyes widened when she saw Veronica, but she didn’t say anything.

Veronica cleared her throat.

Sierra looked up finally.

“Oh. Veronica. I see you’ve been… upstairs.” Sierra said, taking in the girl’s appearance.

“Um, yeah. Why is all my stuff packed up?” Veronica asked. Her voice was kind of hoarse from running. At this, Josie frowned, silently asking the same thing.

“Oh. That. Well… An adoption agent came by and decided to take you in.” Sierra went back to her papers and continued writing. Josie gasped and stared at her mother.

“What?” Veronica asked.

“It has been decided that you are just not a good fit with our family.”

“Decided by who?”

“Myles and I.”

“So just dad.” Josie snapped, standing up. “You can’t just do that!”

“Now, now. We both decided. But don’t worry, we’re not just sending you to _any_ home, or out on the street. It’s the best home in Riverdale. You’ll still get to go to Riverdale High and see your friends, and stay in the Pussy Cats. You just won’t live with us.”

“I’ll be an _orphan_.”

“Well, if you want to use a harsh, _sad_ term, then… But good news, you’d get to have a say in which family you live with. You have a choice!”

“My choices are being a _Lodge_ or an _orphan_. How is _that_ good news? And who would adopt a sixteen-year-old? Most people want babies or kids!”

“Mom this isn’t fair! No one deserves this!” Josie yelled.

“It has been decided girls. Papers have been signed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got work to do. And I’d appreciate it if it were quiet. The adoption agent will be back this afternoon to pick you up Veronica. Please be ready by then.” With that said, Sierra gathered up her papers and walked away.

“I can’t believe this. Girl, we’re gonna do something, Veronica! Wait!” Josie called after her. But she’d already slammed the front door.

Veronica ran.

The cold air slapped her in the face. The cold ground made her bare feet go numb. She just ran. Again. Again, she didn’t know where she was going. But she clearly wasn’t welcome in the McCoy house anymore. She was becoming an _orphan_. One that no one would adopt at that. She was sixteen. Almost out of high school. Who was going to adopt her? No one. That’s who. Plus, she’d have to make up a last name. Take someone else’s. Or change her name all together.

Her chest clenched and begged for air, but she kept running. Soon the noises of town became distant. She slowed to a walk. She gasped for air. Her legs felt wobbly. Her feet were numb. Her hair was freezing cold against her skin, but the rest of her body was almost numb like her feet so she didn’t care. The numbness felt good. Now she understood why certain people seemed to not have certain emotions. Emotions hurt. Physically sometimes. She kept walking. A few seconds later she realized she was heading towards the river.

Sweet Water River.

The one where the body was found. Everyone had thought it was Jason. It had thought to have been confirmed by a specialist. But how was it Jason when he was with Cheryl and Jughead hiding from the Blossom’s? Hiding because of _her_. She’s the one that let it slip. So carelessly at that. Everyone in that room heard it. Surely Hiram Lodge had heard it from Hermione by now. They probably had new plans. New plans to hurt more people. Just like Veronica had.

A cold wind picked up, but she carried on. It was quiet out here. Away from the city. Away from people. It’s no wonder Jughead had slept out here sometimes when he was homeless for a short while. Now he was practically homeless again thanks to her. He’d been doing well, and he and Cheryl were so close now. How were they going to forgive her for this?

Veronica wouldn’t.

She stopped walking. She was at the edge of the river. It was silent. Dead silent. She couldn’t even hear her own breathing. She was deaf. Deaf, numb… alone. No one knew she was here. She stared at the frozen river.

She stepped out onto the snow-covered ice.

Veronica felt a strange sense of relief.

She took a few more steps. The ice made a few small cracking sounds.

But it didn’t break. She was too light for it to break on her just by walking on it.

Something made her look back at the big old sign. It was on its deathbed. She watched as the leg of the sign cracked a little. One push and it’d be gone. Just like that. And no one would know. At least not until summer hit Riverdale. People don’t come here in the winter. Not usually. Veronica looked down at the ice in front of her. It was too thick to see through.

Suddenly, her legs moved and she started walking back towards the land. Towards the sign. She stepped onto the bank and stared up at it. One push. But she didn’t push it. Instead she looked down. Then something caught her eye.

Something buried beneath leaves and twigs. Something meant to be hidden. Curious, she began moving away the dead figments of nature, and found something. A bag. She unzipped it. And gasped.

Inside was Jason’s football jacket. But what was it doing here? Buried and hidden away? She stood up and something told her to search the pockets. A hole. There was a hole in one of them. She searched the lining.

Bingo.

Veronica pulled out a USB drive.

Flash drives held pictures. Or videos. Memories.

Evidence.

Veronica smiled.

She had to get the others. They had to find out what was on here. She reached for her phone, and remembered that she was only in a tank top and leggings. She left her stuff behind.

“Shit.” she swore. The sound seemed incredibly loud against the silence. Oh well. She can walk to Betty’s and use her laptop. She started walking. With the bag, jacket and flash drive in her hands, she had a mission. And she was determined to see it through.

***

_Knock, knock, knock_!

Veronica waited on the front steps of the Cooper’s house. It was still morning and the weekend, so Betty would most likely be at home. Especially after _last night_. Veronica shook her head. She shouldn’t think about that. Not now. She had a mission. She was determined. She heard footsteps coming from inside and Polly answered the door. Guess she was back home.

Home.

_Stop Veronica._

“Oh my god. Veronica! What happened?” Polly asked ask she let Veronica in. The sudden warmth made her shiver. She didn’t care.

“I need to see Betty. We need her laptop.” she replied.

“Uh, oh. Okay? I’ll go get her. And I’ll get you some dry clothes and something warm to drink. Hot chocolate okay?” Veronica only nodded.

A few seconds later, the two sisters came down the stairs. Betty gasped when she saw Veronica. She walked over to her and hugged her.

“My god, Ronnie, what happened? Why-”

“Where’s your laptop?” Veronica interrupted. She held up the bag, the jacket, and the flash drive. Betty stared at them. She cleared her throat.

“Uh, here. Come on.” Betty sat her down on the couch and grabbed her computer. Polly came back with a clean outfit and a large towel. Veronica took them with a “thanks,” and went to the bathroom to change. She didn’t have time to shower.

“I just texted the others. Archie should be here soon. Kevin and Reggie haven’t responded yet.” Betty said once she came out. She nodded. She thanked Polly when she brought her a hot chocolate as she sat down next to Betty. “Hey,” she said softly, “you know that whatever is going on with you, we’ve got your back. We’re here for you.” Betty squeezed Veronica’s hand, and Polly sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her.

“You helped me in a great time of need. I can do the same for you.” she said. Veronica gave a weak smile.

A few minutes later, a worried Archie arrived with a sleepy Kevin and Reggie behind him. Veronica subconsciously noted that both boys were wearing the same clothes as yesterday. But she didn’t put anymore thought into it.

“Hey what’s up? What’s the emergency?” Archie asked. He cast a worried glance Veronica’s way, but didn’t say anything about how she ran off.

“I was at Sweet Water River and found Jason’s jacket in a bag buried underneath twigs and leaves by the sign. I also found _this_ in the jacket.” Veronica held up the flash drive. There was silence for a few seconds before Kevin spoke up.

“Uh… why were you at Sweet Water River?”

“Are we gonna see what’s on here or not?” Veronica snapped. All three boy’s eyes widened.

“Uh. Yeah.” Kevin said quickly.

Veronica ignored the curious slash worried looks as Betty turned on her laptop. Veronica gave her the drive and she began to search through it. There was only one thing on it.

A video.

Veronica swallowed.

What if it was just some school assignment? Or hell, a freaking _sex tape_? But she threw that thought out the window as she remembered that Jason wasn’t _actually_ that kind of person. Hell, Polly was probably the only one he’d ever had sex with. And maybe even only that _one_ time before things went to hell. But back to the video.

Betty looked at everyone, silently asking if they are really willing to do this. They all nodded.

The room silenced as Betty clicked on the video icon. They waited as it loaded. They gasped as it started playing.

On the screen was an unconscious Jason being brought into a dark room by none other than F.P. The older man tied Jason up to a chair tightly. The video skipped to when Jason woke up. Jason struggled, and panicked. Then F.P. entered. They were talking, but they couldn’t hear anything. Jason was scared. Terrified. F.P. left and Jason started struggling against the ropes again.

Suddenly the tape skipped ahead again.

Jason was still in the chair. Someone else entered. They saw a Serpent tattoo though on his arm. The man punched Jason. Then something strange happened.

One second Jason was there getting tormented by a Serpent… the next he was just… gone. Like someone snapped and he was gone. The Serpent was just as confused as they were. He looked around, and even went outside for a while.

“What the hell just happened?” Polly asked.

“I don’t know…” Betty said thoughtfully.

“Wait, it’s still playing.” Archie said. They watched on.

The Serpent came back in and began having a fit.

“What is he six?” Veronica hissed.

A time skip later, two more people entered. They were wearing black clothes, with a black hood draped over their head. They started arguing with the Serpent. Obviously about Jason because they kept gesturing to the empty chair. Weird. The teenagers gasped as one of the black hoods smacked the Serpent in the head with the barrel of a _gun_ , knocking him out cold. The two hoods moved the Serpent into a position so that it looked like he’d fallen and hit his head on one of the many shelving units in the room. They watched as they pulled out what looked like a bunch of needles and stuck them in his arms.

“Oh my gosh, they’re making it look like a drug overdose!” Betty exclaimed.

Veronica was having trouble breathing. They just watched a _murder_. A murder that had been made to look like a drug overdose. Holy shit. They watched further as the two hoods turned around, unknowingly facing the camera. They couldn’t see who they were though.

“Shit.” Veronica swore. The hoods started leaving, and while one left, the other stayed behind for a few seconds. They dropped what looked like a card. Strange. Why would they do that? Unless… they’re framing someone. That’s it!

“Guys, they’re framing someone! I’m sure of it.” Veronica said. “We should figure it out-” Veronica started to stand up.

“Whoa, Ronnie! We don’t even know where this is. Besides, it’s dangerous!” Betty said, pulling her back down. “We don’t even know if that’s what they’re _doing_. All we know is that Jason escaped- _somehow_ \- and that guy, a _Serpent_ was murdered in cold blood! This is serious. We need to show this to Sheriff Keller. Maybe he can figure it out. We’re not detectives, we’re _high school students_.”

“High school students that are wrapped up in the middle of this! We can help.” Veronica exited out of the video on the laptop, and grabbed the flash drive.

“Actually…” Kevin suddenly said, a little awkwardly at that, “I might know someone that knows where it is…”

There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at him.

“WHAT?!” Kevin flinched at the harsh sound.

“Yeah…” he sighed. “You know my- friend, the one we met a while back?”

“Yeah… and no offense he was kind of creepy.” Archie said, Betty hit him on the arm.

“Yeah…” Kevin hesitated. “Point is, he might know where it is.” Truth is, Kevin didn’t seem so keen on asking him. There’s probably more to this story than meets the eye, but no one pushed him for answers. Veronica stood up again.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s ask him.”

“It’s not that easy! We have to find him first.” Kevin said. “I uh- lost contact with him. A few months ago.” He cleared his throat.

“So where do the Serpents usually hang out? He knows them right?”

“Yeah… but it’s like Betty said. It’s dangerous.”

“So we’ll _all_ go. Except maybe Polly, what with her being pregnant and all.”

“Ronnie what’s with you? Where’d this energy come from?” Archie asked worriedly.

“Coffee.”

“You had one cup.”

“Yeah. At your place. Other places have coffee Archie. Now are we going or not?” Veronica was getting impatient. She was ready to go by her _self_ if they didn’t say anything soon.

“Okay! Okay. We’ll go as a group.” Betty sighed, knowing it was a lost battle for them. “Kevin, do you have any ideas where they hang out?” He sighed.

“Yeah. There’s this bar across town that they usually hang out at. There’s no way we’re getting in though.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Veronica stated. “We just need to ask a Serpent where that guy is. They probably know where he goes right?”

“I guess…”

“Okay then. Let’s go.”

Veronica walked briskly beside Kevin who didn’t look too happy. Neither of the others did actually. But she didn’t care. She needed something to _do_. This gave her something to do. It was a distraction. They walked in silence, with Veronica beside Kevin, Reggie beside him- holding hands she noted- and Archie and Betty trailed behind them. Despite it still being early morning, she knew that there were probably _some_ people at the bar. Kevin had mentioned that it was open twenty-four-seven. Surely there were some Serpents so out of it that they were there this early. Or maybe the bar tender knows who this guy Kevin knows is and where they would find him.

They arrived at the mostly empty bar. The guard there looked at them with a frown.

“We need to see someone.” Veronica said. “It’s important.”

“Who?”

“A Serpent.”

“Kids, you’re crazy if you wanna talk to one of _them_.”

“He’s closer to our age and his name-”

“Joaquin.” Kevin cut in.

“His name is Joaquin. We need to get information from him. ASAP. Do you know where he might be?” Veronica asked impatiently. The guard sighed.

“Wait here. I’m not letting you in, I’ll get him.”

The guard went inside and closed the door, and Veronica sighed.

“Okay, Ronnie, what’s with you? Why were you at the river? And for the love of _god_ , only dress in a tank top and leggings?” Betty asked in frustration.

“What?!” the boys exclaimed.

Veronica sighed. She ran a hand through her hair, which was still a bit crunchy from being frozen.

“I’m fine. I just needed air.”

“Right after you got out of the shower?”

“Yeah.”

“Ronnie-”

But the door opened and they didn’t have time to continue this. “Wow. Never thought I’d see you again Preppy. What brings the Scooby Gang over to the Southside?” A young man, around eighteen, frowned at Kevin. Kevin stepped back, and moved closer to Reggie. He narrowed his eyes at Joaquin. Clearly something went down between the two boys. But Veronica didn’t have time for that.

“The room that Jason Blossom was being held captive in. Where is it?” she snapped.

Joaquin shifted his eyes to her curiously. “Why the hell do you want to find that?”

“We can show you. You got a laptop?” Betty didn’t want to bring her own, she didn’t want anything to happen to it. That was fair.

“Uh, sure. A friend has one. I’ll see if we can use it.”

A few minutes later, they were set up. They made Joaquin watch the tape.

“Shit. Mustang’s dead? Oh shit, f**k. But _why_ do you want to find _that_?”

“Mustang huh? We need to see what that card that hood planted there is. You really think Sheriff Keller is doing a good job at figuring out this mystery?”

“Hey!” Kevin defended. Oh. Right. Oops.

“Ooh, uh, no offense to you Kevin.”

“Yeah. Sure.” He wasn’t convinced.

“Ugh. Man…” Joaquin breathed. For a Serpent, he wasn’t that strong when it came to seeing unconscious or dead bodies. “Fine. It’s here. At the bar. Basement, in the warehouse. But you won’t get in. Ken won’t let you.” Ken- oh the body guard. Duh.

“Then we’ll find some other way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you I wouldn't leave Veronica high and dry! :D  
> I was gonna keep going with this one, but that seemed like a good place to end it.  
> Next one should be up soon. And when I say soon, I mean it. I'm not saying "soon" then leaving for three weeks lol. I just had bad writers block for a while, then I went to Amsterdam and barely had any time on my laptop so... yeah. But anyway, I'm back! I even have the next one outlined!


	17. That Awful Sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Possible triggers, not sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? I told you I wouldn't leave you for three weeks.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> It was just one.

Archie sighed as he strummed along on his guitar on his bed. It’s been one crazy year.

First, was the whole Gibson thing, leading up to Jason going missing. At some point Jughead moved in with Cheryl and they became brother and sister. Then Jason showed up dead. Polly went missing from the home she was in. She was pregnant with Jason’s twins, and had temporarily moved in with the Blossom’s at Thornhill. Their group began their own investigation revolving around Jason because Sheriff Keller was working for the Blossom’s. They knew he was just doing his job, but the Blossom’s had a huge influence on the town. Including the Sheriff. Even the Mayor. Speaking of that, then some anonymous person bought the drive-in land that his father was paid to work on. A rift between the Lodge’s and Blossom’s started and that hurt his father big time. It even put Kevin and Reggie in danger as they got beat up by some guys hired from Montreal. Hiram Lodge turned out to be the buyer of the land, and that was trouble.

Archie groaned.

Then Archie and Reggie got kidnapped, and have no memory of the event. Archie should probably be thankful considering the state they were found in. All beat up with dark bruises in various places, as well as cuts, some deeper than others. Not to mention the mark on Reggie’s forehead. Was that part of everything? Or did the person that kidnap them think of it as a joke and was only messing with them? How did they get Jughead’s number from Reggie’s phone when they never in their _life_ exchanged numbers? Was it someone that knew Jughead? Or just had the number from someone else’s phone?

And what about the Serpents? F.P. had confessed to kidnapping Jason _that day._ They had somehow got that video footage of those two hoods murdering Mustang, another Serpent. The Serpents involved were hoping for money. They got jail and death. Somehow Jason escaped but had been _somewhere_ for months before running and showing up very much _alive_ at the Andrews’ residence. Then of course before they got any information, he passed out and is still out according to Jughead and Cheryl. Who are in hiding because the Blossom’s found out that Jason is actually alive. Because of Veronica. Who Archie had told. Ugh.

Archie sighed again remembering his horrible mistake. It wasn’t Veronica’s fault. She didn’t see it that way, but the only thing he could do about that for now, was keep saying that it wasn’t her fault.

Joaquin was surely involved _somehow._ Archie had a sneaking suspicion that he and Kevin had some kind of _thing_ going on before Kevin and Reggie became… something… (Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what those two were at the moment. He didn’t think they even knew what they were.) Kevin never specifically said anything about how he knew Joaquin. But Archie was fairly certain that they had something. Whether it was actual feelings, a fling, or friends with benefits- he’ll never know unless Kevin says something.

Nobody knew where Cheryl and Jughead had gone with Jason. But they were safe from the twin’s parents.

Archie strummed a few notes and finally realized that this was a new tune. He absentmindedly wrote it down. He’ll sort it out in more detail later. Usually when he was writing he was with Jughead. Or Betty. Or _someone_. But they all had their own problems to deal with.

Archie… didn’t. Or at least… didn’t have it as badly as they did. He thought his parents were getting divorced permanently. Then his mother showed up and they’re back together! Which is awesome. But Archie can’t help but feel guilty for having a pretty okay life when the majority of his friends had pretty crappy lives at the moment. Chery land Jughead were hiding, Betty was dealing with her parents possibly getting divorced as well as Polly’s babies. Kevin had to explain to his Sheriff of a father why he had a connection to a _Southside Serpent_ , and he’s fairly certain that Reggie is living at their place as his own house is pretty empty a lot. And Veronica is now living with the McCoy’s instead of her birth mother!

Things are so freaking messed up right now. Archie had it pretty good.

He strummed a few more notes and wrote them down.

Their group was so spread out, that Archie felt out of place. He felt alone. He also felt like he didn’t have the right to feel like that.

Archie wrote down a few words that came to mind. Again, he’ll rearrange things later. When his head was clear.

 _Strum_ _…_

He had to do _something_ for his friends. They each were going through hell on their own, and he was stuck up on earth. There had to be something. Something…

That’s it!

Archie picked up his phone and dialed.

_“Yo.”_

“Hey, you got a sec? I have an idea. But I need help.”

***

Betty held back a sigh as she sat alone in her bedroom. This was such a huge mess. How could they have let things get this far? She was just so _tired_ of it all. All the secrets. The lies. Riverdale was at a crossroads and it wasn’t looking like it was choosing the right path to go down. Mayor McCoy wasn’t doing much help with that. She was trying to cover things up and make Riverdale look like a nice sweet homely town. Sure, maybe it was that at one point, but not anymore. Now it was full of secrets, lies, and even freaking murder. _Murder_! And the Serpents were getting shit on because F.P. had kidnapped Jason, and Mustang was also a part of it. They were known Serpents. Riverdale is a small judgmental town sadly, and things were going downhill for the innocent Serpents that were never involved. Betty’s smart enough to know that yes, while the Serpents didn’t get involved with Jason’s case, they aren’t exactly _totally_ innocent. But there are some that are. Sometimes you can’t choose what kind of life you end up with. A lot of Serpents didn’t have a choice. She knows that much as well. Riverdale is getting divided, but maybe it always was. There was Riverdale, then there was the Southside. Known for the Serpents. A gang known for, well… gang related deeds. Vandalism, drugs, whatever.

But just blaming all of them for the shit Jason went through wasn’t good. It wasn’t right. The whole group isn’t responsible, and the ones that are have been taken care of. Not in the greatest way in Mustang’s case, but still.

Betty didn’t hold back the next sigh and reached for her laptop. Things had to be said. Things had to be done. Riverdale had to know what they were doing and what was happening. Because how does one know that they’re doing something wrong if they’re not _told_ they’re doing something wrong? Feeling pretty inspired, Betty wrote and wrote until her fingers were sore. She sighed in relief when she was finished. She edited her article and put in the proper format. She printed it off. Betty shut her computer and grabbed it and headed downstairs. She grabbed her keys and headed over to the her family’s office.

“It’s good.” Alice said a while later after she read it over. “Really good. The best article you’ve written so far.” Betty sighed.

“But…”

“But we can’t print it.”

“Why not?”

“Honey, things are dangerous right now. What you said about Riverdale is true, but, that doesn’t mean it should be said. There have been attacks on the Serpents, and you and your friends are caught in the middle. I don’t want you or Polly any more involved than you already are.”

“We just want you two to be safe.” Hal chimed in. Betty frowned. Safety was not her concern right now. She didn’t care what happened to herself. She did care what happened to Polly, but that’s aside the point. Point is, this has to be out there in the public. There for them to see. To hear.

“I know your own safety might not be your biggest concern right now Betty, but it’s _our_ biggest concern. We’re your parents and we’re just trying to do the right thing.”

“Then why’d you steal the files from the Keller house?” Betty snapped. She’d had it. Enough secrets. Enough lies. Let the truth spill out, and never slow down.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“Betty-” Alice started.

“No! I’m done with all of this. With the secrets. The lies. We’re supposed to be _family_. Last time I checked good families don’t lie to each other and keep secrets. Now spill. Why did you steal the files? During the dinner F.P. said that you and dad had a huge fight over something? Over _what_? If we’re going to be a proper family, we need to trust each other. And tell each other stuff. Not hide things.” Betty let out a huff at the end as she realized she’d been holding her breath.

Her parents glanced at each other as if daring the other to go first.

“Fine.” Alice sighed. “You’re right. True families don’t keep secrets. Hal why’d you steal the files?”

“Screw you Alice.” Hal glared at her. “But, I didn’t want the investigation to take a turn and think Polly did it. I know she never would, but that won’t stop investigations alone.” Hal took a deep breath. “I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn’t want them finding out about the babies. I thought I was keeping Polly safe. Back then if word had gotten out before things played out the way they did, it would have been worse. If people _knew_ that Polly was bearing _Blossom_ babies…”

Betty stared at him. She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe her father could be so stupid.

“Dad. Were you keeping _Polly_ safe or our _reputation_ safe?” Betty demanded. Alice gave Hal a stern look. Hal didn’t say anything, only sighed.

“When we’re done here, you pack your bags and you _get. Out._ ” Alice demanded.

“Fine.” Hal muttered. “Now about that fight.”

“On second thought, leave right now. I’ll explain it.” Alice said quickly. She glared at Hal. “ _Go._ ”

Hal sighed and stocked off. Alice sighed.

“Okay. He’ll be back to pack up, but for now it’s just us. The fight…” she took in a breath to collect her thoughts. “I was pregnant. Hal thought we were too young. I went through the same thing Polly did. With the home, only… I completed the process.”

“Process?”

“I put your older brother up for adoption.”

Betty stared at her.

“Brother. I- we have a brother?” Alice nodded. “Wow. Just… _wow_.”

“Yes. I didn’t want the same thing for Polly, but Hal wouldn’t have it any other way. But, that’s what our fight was about. It was about your brother.” Alice’s eyes started watering. She sniffed. “I’ve been trying to find him but… they lost track of him. We have no way of knowing who he is.” Full tears were coming now. Betty moved chairs so she was beside her mother and hugged her. “I’m so sorry honey.” Alice’s voice shook with tears.

“Hey, hey.” Betty said gently. Her eyes stung as tears threatened to fall. “Look, Polly and I, we can help. We can help try to find him. There has to be some way of finding him. I know it.”

She wasn’t entirely sure… Kevin had gone through the same thing when he was trying to find his mother and sister. He told her when she’d asked about his family once. He gave up on trying to find them, thinking it was a lost cause. But… Maybe they _shouldn_ _’t_ give up. There _has_ to be some way of finding them. Once things had calmed down here, they’ll start looking.

After she posts her article online of course. Hey, people have to _know_.

***

It was a quiet day in the Ranger House. The Scouts were outside working on stuff, leaving Cheryl, Jughead and Jason alone. For the most part, ever since they came here, they’ve been left alone. Which was good. Cheryl didn’t feel like answering any questions they might have about this. She looked over at Jason. Jughead was by him, taking a nap on the floor. That boy just slept his days away. Cheryl smiled. Then she frowned.

Jason hadn’t woken up yet. He was _still_ out. But he was just sleeping. It was like a sleeping spell. Maybe Jughead should kiss him on the lips… she’ll have to voice the idea when he woke up.

Just then Dilton came in looking worried. “You guys really need to see this.” He had his laptop with him and set it up. Cheryl woke up Jughead who yawned and adjusted his hat. Dilton glanced at them, and Cheryl nodded. He pressed play on a video. It was some news clip. Oh. Wait. Not just any news clip. One of her _parents_.

_“There have been a number of events recently in Riverdale.” Clifford said into the camera. “I know we don’t need any more incidents. Riverdale is a kind, accepting town. So I hope you accept it when I say this. We’ve recently just learned that our son, Jason Blossom, who had turned up dead at Sweet Water River, is alive. He’s hiding with our daughter, his twin sister, Cheryl. If you asked them, they’d probably say that they’re hiding from us. But all we want is for them to come home. For things to be the way they were before. We want you both to be safe.”_

_“So Cheryl, honey, if you’re watching this,” Penelope chimed in, “please._ Please _come home. We miss you. We need you._ _”_

_“And we won’t stop looking for you. We won’t stop until we bring you home with us.” Clifford finished._

Cheryl stared at the screen as the clip ended.

“F**k.” she swore. “This is bullshit!”

“Ugh, now the whole town knows, and they’re probably helping the Blossom’s look for us!” Jughead sighed. He took his hat off for a second to run a hand through his hair. “This is bad, really bad.”

“There’s no point in panicking over it. We need to stay calm.” Dr. Young said.

“Ugh, I’m so _tired_ of this.” Cheryl groaned. “I’m sick of it all. We have to do _something_. I hate hiding.”

“You know what will happen if you go out there though. We need to be smart.” Dilton said.

“Yeah, I know. I just hate how my parents basically _run_ Riverdale. Like we don’t even need Mayor McCoy, not when the Blossom’s are in business.”

“So what are we going to do then?” Jughead asked, going back to sit next to Jason. “Jason’s not even awake yet.”

“I don’t know. But I want Clifford and Penelope to disappear. I want them to lose power. Lose everything they ever had.” Cheryl paused in her rant.

“I want Thornhill to burn.”

The room got quiet as the others stared at her. She meant it. She wanted it gone.

“Nothing but poison came from Thornhill. Having that gone, would be one step in taking down Clifford and Penelope.”

“You would also be homeless.” Dilton said.

“Like now? We’re in _hiding_. Can’t get any worse. I want to burn down Thornhill. That will be our next move. That will send a message. It will be big. It will be loud. It will be clear. An empire without a castle is lost.”

The room was quiet for a few seconds.

“Okay.” Jughead said after a while. Cheryl looked at him. “But if we’re gonna do this, we do it right.”

“I’ll help.” Dilton said with a nod. “Someone should stay with Jason and be ready to run in case things get ugly.”

“Jughead should stay. Maybe wake JJ up with true love’s kiss?” Cheryl smirked as Jughead blushed lightly and looked away. Dilton frowned in confusion.

“Huh?” he asked.

“Oh yeah. Jason’s gay and kind of in love with Jughead.”

Dilton blinked.

“That explains _so much_!”

“Right. Okay. Let’s plan out the burn of Thornhill Mansion.”

***

Jughead watched as Cheryl left with Dilton, in disguise as a Scout (Jughead took a picture, he couldn’t resist,) and began to execute the plan to burn down Thornhill Mansion. Dr. Young and Joe, the only two adults in the room hadn’t said a thing throughout the whole ordeal. Jughead wasn’t sure what their opinion was, but they weren’t stopping them. Jughead looked at Jason.

True love’s kiss huh?

He responded when Jughead kissed him on the forehead.

It’s worth a shot.

Jughead leaned over Jason.

Then his phone buzzed.

_Incoming Call_

_Mom_

Mom. What the hell? She never called him. He always did the calling. He let it ring twice before answering.

“Hello?”

_“Juggy!”_

Holy crap. It wasn’t mom.

“Jellybean! What the hell! Did you steal mom’s phone?”

_“Maybe. But I heard the news. About Jason Blossom. Is it true Jughead? He’s not dead like you said?”_

“No. He’s not. I’m with him.”

 _“You know he loves you right_ **?** **”**

Jughead blinked. That little…

“How the hell did you know?”

_“It was SO obvious! He kept staring at you like, all the time. He’d smile when you smiled. When you laughed. I wondered when you’d catch on, but you never seemed to notice! So are you two together now? Did he confess? Are you going to get-”_

“Jelly, why are you calling?” Jughead interrupted. There was a pause.

_“I may have stolen mom’s credit card and came to Riverdale.”_

“WHAT? You’re here? In Riverdale?! Jellybean! Are you crazy!”

_“I knew you’d freak out. But, ugh. Look, I just wanted to see you. I know you’re not dad. Mom’s wrong. You’re nothing like him. She should have taken you with us! She won’t even think about coming here even after everything with the Blossom’s went down! She’s such a bitch-”_

“Jellybean.”

_“Oh come on. Mom, I thought I left you at the house! Juggy, you swear all the time.”_

“You’re ten.”

_“And I traveled all the way to Riverdale all by myself! Without getting kidnapped. I know that was dangerous, I’m not stupid. I’m just as smart as you are. So where are you?”_

“Where are you? You’re not being followed?”

_“No, I don’t think so. I’m not sure people know I’m your sister.”_

“Let’s keep it that way. For now anyway. But I’m at the Ranger Scout Headquarters. Dilton’s been hiding us here.”

_“Damn, that’s smart. They haven’t found you yet. Okay, I’m on my way. Tell those dweeb scout boys I’m your sister or they probably won’t let me in.”_

“Yeah, yeah. I will. And they’re not that bad for Ranger Scouts. Sure Dilton’s a little crazy when it comes to survival, but he’s really come through for us.”

_“Whatever. I’ll believe it when I see it.”_

“Right. So where are you exactly? You didn’t answer that.”

_“Oh, I’m just leaving the bus station. But can we talk about Jason? I wanna get to know him! Can I talk to him? I’ll bet he’s not a dick like everyone thinks. I mean he loves you, and you’re not a dick.”_

Jughead snorted. “Thanks. But from what I’ve heard, he isn’t. Not really. And he’s not exactly awake. When he came back, he passed out and has been out ever since.”

_“Damn. Wait, maybe it’s like Sleeping Beauty! Kiss him! Do it! Wait. No. Not till I’m there. I wanna meet him. I’m so excited! I can’t wait for you, Archie and Jason to be together. You’d be the power couple- threesome- thing- whatever, of the entire town! How is Archie by the way? I haven’t heard anything about him since the Facebook page lit up.”_

Jughead sighed. “You- never mind.” He’d never told Jelly that he and Archie got together. Never had a chance. Damn that Facebook page. And Jellybean’s keen observation skills. “But things aren’t… great. We’ve taken a break until all of this crap is over and done with. I know he’s blaming himself.” There was a pause and some voices before Jellybean spoke up again.

_“Well, when I speak to him he won’t do that ever again unless it truly is his fault. He’s too hard on himself.”_

“Yeah. He is. But he’s got us to help him out.”

_“Oh hey, where’s Cheryl, can I talk to her? She’s so cool! She practically defines the term rebellious! You two teaming up inspired me to come home. I hate it, living with mom over there. It’s not home. You’re home. You and Riverdale. No matter how messed up it is right now.”_

“Jellybean…” Jughead said quietly.

_“It’s true! So is Cheryl there? Can I talk to her?”_

“She’s uh, busy with Dilton. She’s making her next move.”

_“Oh cool. What’s that?”_

Jughead debated. Should he?

“She’s burning down Thornhill Mansion.”

There was a pause as he let Jellybean take that in.

“SHE IS SO COOL!”

Jughead jumped and looked towards the door. That didn’t come from on the phone. There was a knock on the door. He hung up and answered it. He was immediately tackled by his little sister. They hugged for a few minutes before pulling apart.

“You’re insane you know that?” Jughead chuckled. His eyes stung with tears as they threatened to fall as smiled at her.

She was taller now, not by much, but taller. She had long straight dark hair, with purple streaks at the ends. Aside from that, she looked just like their mother.

“Mom let you dye your hair?” he questioned.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“She let me keep it after I did it.”

“Now that makes sense. But it looks good. Purple’s your colour.” Jellybean smiled widely and glanced over behind him.

“He has curly hair? Wow!” Jughead snorted. Of course that’s what she’d notice first. “He’s more handsome without that dumb hair gel. Guys put way too much of that in their hair. Makes it look greasy.” She walked over to him and looked up at the two adults who were smiling.

“I’m Jellybean! You must be the doc, and the bodyguard. How many lives did you save? How many guys have you beat up?”

“Jellybean!”

“What? I wanna know.”

“Just tone it down, will you?”

“Thirty-six.” Both adults replied in unison.

Jughead looked over at Dr. Young.

“I saved the guys he beat up.” she smirked.

“Hey, I was just doing my job.”

“They didn’t have to almost die, we needed them alive.”

“Ooh! Was it a mob?” Jellybean asked. Jughead ruffled her hair. She grabbed his hat and put it on. God he missed her. Jellybean smiled down at Jason.

“Well kiss him already!” she said urgently. Sheesh. Jughead rolled his eyes. The two adults pretended to not notice what he was doing. He appreciated that.

Jughead leaned over Jason and cupped the side of his face. He slowly pressed their lips together.

He felt Jason move.

Jughead pulled a part and stepped away. He gasped as Jason slowly began to wake up.

Then the boy’s eyes blinked open.

Blue eyes looked up at Jughead and Jellybean in confusion. His voice was hoarse and just barely a whisper.

“Forsythe…”

***

Kevin swallowed as he nervously sat at the kitchen table with Reggie and his father. He didn’t like this. Not one bit. His dad was giving him a hard look. There were a few moments of an awkward silence before his dad spoke.

“What I want to know is, how you two knew about the bar in the first place? Veronica could have gotten hurt. You all could have. She should have brought that flash drive straight to the police.” he asked, his voice monotone, but serious. Kevin swallowed again. Reggie glanced at him. Neither knew what words to say. “Kevin.”

Kevin sighed quietly.

“I know. I know this doesn’t help, but I am sorry.”

“How did you know about the bar? Where it was?”

“I… might have…” he hesitated. “Dated some guy…”

His dad sighed. “What guy? What’s his name? His full name.”

Kevin bit his lip.

“Joaquin DeSantos…”

Kevin flinched as his dad’s eyes hardened. He knew that name. Of course he did. He knew every-

“You dated a Southside Serpent.” That wasn’t a question.

“You what?” Reggie exclaimed and stared at him wide-eyed. His dad seemed surprised that Reggie didn’t know, but didn’t say anything about it. “When?” Reggie asked. Shit. Kevin had hoped that since he broke it off with Joaquin, that the whole thing would just get buried and never spoken of again. Guess he was wrong. He should have known though. Secrets always have a way of getting out.

Kevin cleared his throat awkwardly. “It may have started the night the drive-in closed? But I broke it off! I know how stupid it was. And I’m sorry for not saying anything-”

“You’re grounded for three weeks. You can still go to club meetings, but I want you home straight after school. No friends, no games, no dates.” Kevin blushed lightly as he and Reggie glanced at each other. It was hard to tell, but Reggie was also a bit pink. They haven’t even been on a proper date yet. They still haven’t even kissed! Ugh.

“And the guest room is ready.”

Kevin blinked. “We have a guest room?”

“I’ve been converting my old office into one. So, Reggie can have an actual bed. Which he will stay in for three weeks.”

“Yes sir.” Kevin said quietly and shrunk back a little. Reggie gave a small nod, but didn’t say anything.

“Kevin. Gangs are dangerous. Even if some people are innocent. There’s always someone willing to hurt others for their advantage.”

Kevin didn’t say anything, but nodded. God, he hated getting into trouble. Especially with his dad. Their father son relationship was going well, Kevin didn’t want to screw it up. But he felt like he just did. He might have just screwed things up with Reggie too. Shit!

Kevin watched as his father stood up without a word and left the room. The room was quiet for a few moments. Kevin still stared after his father. He couldn’t believe he let his dad down like that. After everything he did for Kevin- he goes and dates a Southside Serpent.

“Kevin, hey.” Reggie said softly. He reached over and grabbed his hand. “It’ll be okay. It might not be right now, but things will be okay.” Kevin swallowed a lump in his throat.

“How do you know that?” he asked warily.

“You taught me that. You taught me that things always have a way of working out.” Reggie paused. He moved closer to Kevin and wrapped an arm around him. “Like you and me.” Reggie leaned in and kissed Kevin on the cheek. Kevin still felt horrible, but a small smile tugged at his lips. Reggie had a point.

“I could really use a distraction. Have you ever boxed before?”

Reggie stared at him.

“What? I wasn’t kidding when I said I’d prefer one on one sports. I’ve been taking up boxing for about three years now.”

“Wow. Also, to answer your question, no. I don’t know anything about it. But will this be going against your punishment?”

“It might but I know that dad’s driven off to work and won’t be back for quite a few hours.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Come on, the stuff is downstairs.”

***

The next few days were pretty much the same. The boys would come home from school, do homework, then Reggie would do whatever while Kevin did chores or other things that weren’t fun. Kevin being grounded sucked. Reggie was also grounded for a few days for going to the bar with the gang, and putting himself in danger. Guess Sheriff Keller really doesn’t like the Serpents. But he understood why of course. Not to mention that Joaquin probably knew F.P.’s plans and went along with them. Reggie was a little annoyed that Kevin didn’t tell him he’d already dated someone before him, but it wasn’t really his place to know unless Kevin wanted him to know. So he couldn’t blame Kevin for not saying anything.

Reggie glanced over at the wall from his desk where the clock hung. Five more minutes of this hell. Okay it was just history, but he had a really dull, monotone, boring teacher that dragged on for what felt like hours. They technically finished class ten minutes ago. But they didn’t have an assignment as it was just note taking. Now they were just sitting there. Doing nothing. Unless you were Betty who was working on some kind of assignment. Reggie glanced over at Kevin. The boy was staring ahead but one could easily tell his mind was not on the lesson. He had a bored expression on his face, and it made Reggie wonder what he was thinking about. He often found himself wondering that. Kevin was a hard guy to read sometimes.

Buzz, buzz.

Reggie glanced at the teacher and secretly took out his phone. The teacher may be boring as hell but he still didn’t like cell phones in class. Despite class being over. He looked at the text.

**Moose: So, me and guys were just curious. Are you and Keller together or what?**

Reggie glanced up at Moose who shrugged. Reggie still wasn’t really sure himself, but things were progressing. Well, slowly now with them being grounded but, it was progressing. He glanced up at the front and texted back.

**Reggie: Maybe?**

**Moose: Maybe? What does that even mean?**

**Reggie: We didn** **’t put any labels on anything yet, so I don’t know.**

**Moose: Oh. Do you want you guys to be together?**

**Reggie: Since when do we talk about relationships?**

**Moose: Okay, no need to be defensive.**

**Reggie: Not defensive, just asking. Also his name is Kevin.**

**Moose: So is Keller, but fine. Kevin. Someone** **’s protective.**

Reggie rolled his eyes and saw Moose smirking.

**Reggie: Oh shut up.**

Before Moose could reply, the bell rang. Moose walked over as the class stood up and gathered up their things. “Hey man.” Moose said. “The guys and I were going to Pop’s after football, you in?”

“Nah, can’t. Grounded.” Reggie shrugged as he put his books in his backpack.

“Damn. What for?”

“Uh,” Moose doesn’t exactly know about the whole Serpent ordeal. Or the fact that he was living with the Keller’s. “I might have received a speeding ticket.” That wasn’t exactly a lie… So he sped sometimes. He’s a teenager.

“Bummer. So how long are you grounded for?”

“Only a few days.”

Reggie watched Kevin out of the corner of his eye as he left the room. He was going to get a ride with him after football. Kevin had a club meeting that ended a few minutes earlier. Reggie and Moose were the last to leave the classroom, and headed for football practice.

After practice, he met Kevin at the doors that lead to the parking lot. Reggie smiled as Kevin kissed him on the cheek. “How was practice?”

“Okay. Same as usual. Oh, crap.” Reggie frowned as he stared out the window. Standing outside next to Kevin’s truck was a face he hadn’t seen in three years. His brother.

“Who’s that? Should I be worried?” Kevin asked looking out the window at Reggie’s brother. He looked similar to Reggie, but taller and a bit thinner.

“No. That’s just my older brother Oliver.”

“Brother?”

“Yeah…” Reggie hesitated. “I haven’t seen him in three years. The last time I did, he was going off to university in Chicago.”

“Oh. Guess we should see what he’s doing here?” Reggie shrugged in response. They walked out towards the truck.

“Reggie! Bro! How’s it going?” Oliver smiled. His smile was always more of a smirk. It irritated Reggie to no end.

“Fine. What are you doing here?”

“What I can’t visit my brother?”

“We haven’t seen each other in three years, and you show up out of the blue.”

“And this must be Chris, mom and dad mentioned him. I’m Oliver.” Oliver stuck out his hand, and ignored Reggie’s statement. Kevin cleared his throat awkwardly and shook his hand to be polite.

“Uh, I’m Kevin. Good to meet you…”

“Mom and dad talk to you?” Reggie frowned. That stung. They never talked to him. Never. Not even when he emailed them.

“Only recently. Told them I was coming home and they replied. Told me to see you and your boyfriend. Believe it or not, they’re pretty excited about that. Mom wrote an entire page about it. Dad said he was proud that you found someone. I know they don’t talk to you that much,” Or at all. “But they do want you to be happy Reg. Thing is, they think things are fine cause you never say it isn’t.”

“Oliver, why are you even here? It’s not just for a visit.” Reggie ignored the pain in his chest, and his brother’s words. Oliver sighed.

“Okay. Fine. Look, I got kicked out. I need a place to stay for a while until I find a place and a job. I know things are crazy in Riverdale right now, but home is home, right?”

Reggie sighed. Given that he and Oliver hadn’t seen or spoken in three years meant that Oliver didn’t know what Reggie was going through. Ugh he hated this. Things were going well. Aside from the grounding. Plus he hadn’t had nightmares for weeks now. Going back home might bring that back.

“Fine. I just gotta stop at Kevin’s for a few things.”

“Cool, I’ll meet ya there.” Oliver walked off towards his own car.

“You don’t have to do this. Go back home.” Kevin said once Oliver was out of earshot.

Reggie sighed. “He doesn’t know anything. It’s not like he’s any better than our parents.” Reggie ended that conversation and got in the truck. Kevin reluctantly followed.

***

Veronica stared at the grey table. A neutral expression hung on her face. She felt numb again. Like nothing mattered. The cool metal of the handcuffs around her wrists did nothing to make her feel real. Nothing mattered. Not anymore. Not that dumb card, or the case. Not the Blossom’s, not even Hermione and Hiram. Not even Veronica herself.

The silence was deafening. It was like living in a silent wind tunnel. Nothing but silence. No one to hear you scream.

The door opened and closed and temporarily shattered the silence. Sheriff Keller frowned at her as he walked towards the table. His footsteps echoing throughout the room. Ringing in her ears, loud as church bells. She stared up at him with a blank look. Nothing mattered after all.

“I want you to know you’re not going to jail. Not breaking and entering for this.” Sheriff Keller said. He took out the card she was after. Hermione Lodge’s business card. That who the hoodies were trying to frame. Hermione could go to jail for the rest of her life for all she cared.

“But you are getting charged for breaking the law. What I want to know is why? Veronica, you’re a good person.” Veronica scoffed. He clearly didn’t do his research. Veronica a good person? That’s a laugh. “I’m serious. You might not have always been, but you changed for the better when you came to Riverdale. Now, I don’t agree with the McCoy’s giving you up for adoption. But I can’t do much about that now. It’s their decision, not mine. I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you. I’m not going to stop until I found you a good place to stay.”

“Aside from the _adoption_ home.” Veronica said, her voice monotone with a hint of sarcasm.

“Yes. No one likes staying in those. I know that. I also know that the system isn’t great either. Which is why I’m going to help you. For now, Riverdale only has one home, but you won’t be staying there for very long. Veronica, you gotta trust me on this.”

“Like I have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice. _Always._ Don’t forget that.” There was a pause of silence. “On another note, the home is also in Southside.” Veronica looked down. Of course. “So you’ll unfortunately be transferring schools on the board of education’s command. You’ll be transferred into Southside High.”

The next few days were a blur. She hadn’t told the others she was leaving. Hadn’t told them anything about this. Veronica sighed as she stared at the door to the home. Just a plain tan door. It was a plain building as well. Nothing dreadful about it, but nothing cheerful either. Veronica slung her bag over her shoulder. She hadn’t cared enough to get dressed up so she was just in sweats, a t-shirt and a sweater. She didn’t care about her other stuff anymore. She donated them to charity. It didn’t make her feel any better.

She braced herself as the door opened to reveal a woman that was a little big for size, shoulder length brown hair, and sun burnt white skin. She also had a cigarette in her hand. She blew out a puff of smoke. “You the girl?” she asked.

“Yes,” Sheriff Keller walked up behind her, “this is Veronica. She’ll be staying here for a while until I find her a place.”

“Come on in.” The woman opened the door wider and let them in. Veronica looked around. Just as plain as the outside. Probably just as boring. The woman stopped at the kitchen table where a bunch of papers were laid out. She looked at Veronica. “I’m Wendy Walters, you call me Miss Walters. No single rooms so don’t hope for one. Or privacy. Harvey! Harvey! Where are ya? Good god kid.” The woman said and Veronica saw a boy about her age run over covered in dirt. “What in the hell happened to you? You got the home all dirty.”

“Sorry Miss. Walters. Neighbour’s cat got stuck in a big hole somehow. Had to jump in and get him out. I’ll clean up as soon as I can.” Harvey said with a small shrug. The boy was a bit taller than Veronica, thin but not a stick figure, messy brown hair, and brown eyes. “Hi, I’m Harvey. I’d shake your hand but I’m kind of dirty.”

“I’m Veronica. Nice to meet you.” Veronica nodded. She tried to make her voice sound happy. She probably failed.

“Cool.”

“Harvey, she’s gonna be in Nia’s room while she’s here. Show her where it is will ya.” Miss. Walters said with a wave of her hand.

“Will do. Come on.” Harvey lead Veronica over to where the bedrooms were. “I know it doesn’t look like much, but it’s not as bad as it seems. And Miss. Walters is great when you get to know her. Just don’t get on her bad side. Nia… she’s okay. Just keep your stuff on your side of the room. And don’t make too much noise at night. She likes her sleep. A way to get on her good side is to bring her sweets. Miss. Walters doesn’t get us any, and none of us have any money unless it’s been stolen. Nia’s favourite is those marshmallow strawberry things. You know those five cent candies? Get a bag of those and your golden. Other than that she usually just keeps to herself unless she hates you.”

“What does she do if she hates you?” Veronica asked, dreading the answer.

“Uh… you don’t want to know… She won’t hate you instantly though. You would have to do something to make her hate you. Here we are. She’s not here today, visiting her sister. So you’re lucky, you have time to get on her good side. Not to many people do. Just put your things on that bed over there. Nia takes the one by the window.” Veronica noticed a distinct lack of posters and other decorations. Guess Nia wasn’t one to show off her interests.

Or life here sucked and Harvey was just trying to sugar coat it.

“I’m gonna go wash up, Miss. Walters will kill me if I get any more dirt anywhere. But just come to me if you need anything. I’ll show you around later. Nia won’t be back until four.”

Veronica nodded. “Thanks.” she muttered. Harvey smiled and walked off. Veronica sighed and sat down on her bed.

She was in an _orphanage_. She didn’t have a family. She was alone. Just Veronica.

***

The air in Riverdale was strange to say the least. There wasn’t really another word for it. The Mayor was trying to celebrate seventy-five years of Riverdale, while the town was just trying to wrap their heads around the fact that Jason Blossom was _alive_. He’d been dead for months, and now he was back? Some people were happy, others were just super confused. Most just aimed their hate towards the Serpents. It grew worse even though Betty had posted her article for them to see. What’s worse is that someone posted a video of Thornhill Mansion burning down. Though most suspected it to be Cheryl Blossom as the words “Your Move” popped up on the screen as the video of the fire played out. Some people praised her for her bold move. Others said it was vandalism and a mistake. Cheryl was nowhere to be found, so there was no one to confirm or deny anything.

Still though, despite all of that, Riverdale came together to celebrate the seventy-five years. People from all over town sat in rows of chairs faced towards a stage, waiting for the performances to begin. Mayor McCoy stepped onto the stage.

“Welcome, one and all, to Riverdale’s seventy-fifth anniversary Jubilee celebration!”

The crowd cheered and applauded.

“I couldn’t be anymore thrilled, to introduce my daughter Josie, and her Pussycats. Along with Riverdale High’s award-winning glee club as they perform an original song written by Riverdale’s very own Archie Andrews.”

The crowd cheered as the group walked on the stage, and Josie took the microphone.

“Hi-hi everyone. As my mother had said, we are singing a song that my boy, Archie Andrews wrote. He called us up and brought us all together in hopes of cheering up the town after recent events. So let’s have a moment of peace, joy, and happiness.” Josie said. The group got into position and their friends wondered what they were up to.

Josie took the lead and started the song off.

 _“I’ve, been alone.”_ Valerie and Archie accompanied her. _“Surrounded by darkness. And I’ve seen how heartless. The world, can be.”_ A few members of the audience wooed at the deepness of the last note. _“And I’ve seen you cryin’. You felt like it’s hopeless. But I’ll always do my best, to make, you see.”_ Archie and the Pussycats joined her at the next part. _“Cause baby you’re not alone. Cause you’re here with me. And nothing’s ever gonna bring us down cause nothing can keep me from loving you. And you know it’s true. It don’t matter what’ll come to be, our love is all we need, to make it through. Now I know it ain’t easy. But it ain’t hard trying. Every time I see you smiling. And I feel you so close to me. Tell me. Cause baby you’re not alone, cause you’re here with me. And nothing’s ever gonna bring us down cause nothing can keep me from loving you. And you know it’s true. It don’t matter what’ll come to be, our love is all we need to make it through. Well I still have trouble! I trip and stumble trying to make sense of things sometimes! I look for reasons, but I don’t need them! All I need is to look in your eyes… and I realiiiiiiiize! That baby you’re not alone, cause you’re here with me. And nothing’s ever gonna take us down, cause nothing can keep me from loving you! And you know it’s true. It don’t matter what’ll come to be, our love is all we need, to make it through.”_ The music paused as the drums kept up a cool beat and Archie, Valerie and Melody sang a part in time with the glee club’s part while Josie did her own cool thing. Soon they all came together again. _“Cause it don’t matter what’ll come to be, our love is all we need… to make it… through…”_

The crowd cheered loudly as they stood up and some whistled. Dilton Doily, who was recording the event had to move in order to actually capture it. The singers smiled and waved, and Betty Cooper walked onto the stage and cleared her throat. The crowd calmed down after a while.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I’d like to thank Mayor McCoy for inviting me to speak on this historic day. Seventy-five years of Riverdale. But what is Riverdale? It’s the people. Right? You, me, our friends, our neighbours. Riverdale is Archie Andrews.” A few people whooped. “Kevin Keller is Riverdale. Veronica McCoy is Riverdale. Cheryl and Jason Blossom are Riverdale.” A few people whispered at the mention of Jason. But Betty continued. “But you know who else, is Riverdale? F.P. Jones. Who we were so quick, to blame for everything that’s happened. But all he did was kidnap someone. Jughead Jones is Riverdale. The very _soul_ of Riverdale. Without him, we might not have found out what happened to Jason Blossom. The Southside Serpents. They are Riverdale. After all, no one else has a group like them. F.P. may have done something horrible, but, in no way represents every single Serpent. Not all of them are horrible people that choose that way of life. Some don’t get to choose. Open your eyes Riverdale and see that you can’t just say ‘if one is, they all are’. That is not true. Even for the Serpents. Riverdale is at a crossroads. If we don’t face the reality of who and what we are, if we keep lying to ourselves and keeping secrets, from each other… Then what happened to Jason could happen again. Or God forbid something even worse. Riverdale must do better. We must do better.”

There was a lot of silence as the people took in her speech.

Someone started clapping, then someone else, and soon enough everyone was clapping.

The room stood up and smiled and Betty smiled back.

* * *

 

The song I used is "Not Alone" from A Very Potter Musical created by StarKid Productions, the version I used is slightly different than the one in the play. The one I used is the Jaime (who played Ginny Weasley) sang at the Apocalyptour in 2012. I thought that one fit better with this chapter.

Here's a link to the song: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xRPDkv61P8>

If the link doesn't work let me know, I'll try to fix it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ONE MORE CHAPTER!
> 
> AAAAAAAAAHHH!


	18. I Shot You Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short thing that didn't quite fit in with the last chapter.

Pop Tate counted the last bill as he closed the shoppe. He was actually closing tonight for specific reasons. He sighed as he got ready for the next event. This was going to be interesting. He locked up the doors and waited for the Sheriff’s call. Then the phone rang and Pop went to answer it.

 _“You ready? It’s gonna be a long night.”_ Sheriff Keller said.

“Yeah, just locked up. Everyone’s gone. Place is clean. Big enough. Like we talked about. You sure everyone will show up?” Pop said, glancing out the window.

_“I’m sure. I’m also sure that everyone’s ready to spit fire so be on guard.”_

“I figured as much. Who wouldn’t be? Lord help us, this ain’t gonna be pretty.”

_“Right. See you in a few. I’ll be the first. Then we’ll call them.”_

“Roger that. See ya here.” Pop hung up the phone and sighed again. He sure hoped this went according to plan. It’s as the sheriff said, everyone wants to spit fire. And Cheryl already did, with burning down Thornhill like that. He couldn’t imagine what those kids were going through right now. He knew who the Blossom’s really are. Cruel horrible people that are always up to no good. He’s seen how different their kids are. They’re good kids. Honest, true, and kind. The only thing he can do now is hope that all goes well here.

A few minutes later, the Sheriff knocked on the glass door. Pop went over to let him in. The two went over and Pop went behind the counter while the Sheriff took one of the stools. “I’ve got the list of who to call.” he said and took out a piece of paper. Pop nodded.

“You sure about this?” he asked. The Sheriff nodded.

“The people trust you more than they trust me. The kids especially. It’ll work. I’m sure. Call him first. They have to know what they’re in for.” Sheriff Keller pointed to a certain name on the list. Oh yes. This will work.

Pop got to work and phoned everyone and told them to come over to the restaurant. He and the Sheriff waited patiently until there was a knock on the door. They looked over to see the first ones they called, Jughead, Cheryl, Jellybean for some reason, and surprisingly Dilton along with two adults and one more.

Jason Blossom.

“Well I’ll be damned.” Pop muttered as he went over to the door.

Jason Blossom was in fact alive. Alive and standing (while leaning on Cheryl for support, also wearing Jughead’s hat.) and looking nervous and scared. Pop let the group in and quickly closed the door behind them. He turned to the kids who took a booth in one of the corners, Jughead and Jellybean on one side, with Dilton beside Jughead, and the twins sat on the other. The two adults sat in another booth behind them. Dilton took off his hat and set it on the table.

“It’s good to see you kids again. You’re brave. Strong. True. The true heroes this town desperately needs. The next few hours are going to be some of the hardest hours you’ve ever had to sit through I can tell you that much. Now you know everybody’s meeting here. That _means_ everybody.” The kids nodded. “It ain’t gonna be pretty. Not that any of this has. But you can bet that everyone is on _your_ side. Everybody knows who the Blossom’s are. Everybody knows _what_ they are. I know Riverdale’s not stupid. The good people know right from wrong. And they know that the Blossom’s have done a whole lot of wrong. But they were powerful enough that nobody was able to stand up to them. No one until you kids. You’re leaders. Even if you are a little gun crazy.” Pop smiled and nudged Dilton and the boy sighed while the others smiled.

“Not one of my proudest moments.” Dilton frowned.

“So, what’s going to happen?” Cheryl asked.

“We’re gonna get everyone here. Hopefully things are gonna get explained and we’ll get some answers.” Pop explained. Cheryl nodded. “Hopefully no one will get hurt. I told everyone to act civil. I didn’t tell the Blossom’s anything, so you best brace yourselves for whatever they have to say. But we’re not gonna let them touch any of you. You can bet on that. They’ll be here soon so I suggest you figure out what you’re gonna say.”

The kids nodded and Pop went back over to the sheriff. The group waited, the kids talked a little. Jason didn’t say much; the others did most of the talking. Pop took in Jason’s appearance. He’d taken off Jughead’s hat and placed it on the table. His hair was a duller colour than he remembered, and it was pretty curly. The boy was pale, probably hadn’t eaten anything for quite a while. The poor boy had gone through more than what the usual teenager should go through.

There was a knock at the door, and Pop looked to see the Andrews family with the Coopers just behind them. Pop immediately let them in and they all came bustling through the door. Archie and Polly immediately noticed the other teens and went over to them after greeting Pop. Polly hugged the twins, and Jughead. Archie hesitantly went up to Jughead. After a second or two of staring, Jughead pulled Archie in for a hug. Suddenly he realized that Betty wasn’t there with them.

“Where’s Betty?” he asked.

“Oh, she was taking a shower when you called, she’ll be here soon.” Alice explained. He nodded.

The group got settled down, with the teens on one side of the building, and the adults at a few other booths. Pop explained to them what was going on. Soon the other teenagers involved, Veronica, Kevin, and Reggie came in. They sat with the other teenagers. Next was Hermione who didn’t look too happy. But she didn’t say anything and glanced at Veronica who wasn’t looking at her. The McCoy family was next, with Josie glancing sadly and guiltily at Veronica. Pop wasn’t sure what went down between them, but he was probably going to find out soon enough.

Only a few people were surprised when the next person came in.

Pop opened the door and nodded.

“Jennifer Gibson.”

The woman formerly known as Geraldine Grundy walked in looking nothing like her teacher aesthetics. Her hair was down, her glasses were gone, and she wore a pretty revealing shirt, with very short shorts, and high heal shoes. Yeah, it was safe to say that she was most definitely _not_ a teacher.

“Pop.”

Pop let her in and closed the door. Only a few people left. Jennifer glanced over and looked at the teenagers. Specifically, Archie. She smiled and nodded.

“Archie.” Archie looked away while the others glared at her. Then she noticed him.

“I’m glad you’re alive Jason. It’s good to see you again.” Jason didn’t look at her and Cheryl gave her a death glare and hugged her brother.

Before anyone could do anything, Mary got up and walked towards her. She gave Jennifer the most terrifying glare Pop had ever seen. And before he could stop her, Mary bitch-slapped Jennifer so hard the red hand print was clear as day. Jennifer didn’t say anything as Mary got up in her face.

“When this is over. Stay. Away. From. Riverdale.” Mary seethed. Jennifer didn’t reply as Mary sat back down next to Fred.

“Rest assured, she will be staying away.” Sheriff Keller said with a nod as Jennifer sat at one of the bar stools away from him. She rolled her eyes.

The next person to arrive was a shock for everyone but Pop and Sheriff Keller.

F.P. Jones arrived, hands cuffed, with two policemen at his side.

In Sheriff Keller’s opinion, they needed _everyone_ ’ _s_ story. F.P.’s included. The man didn’t say anything but took a seat next to the sheriff. He did cast one glance over to his son and his friends, but they weren’t looking at him.

Fred cleared his throat. “Uh, just how many people are coming to this… meeting?”

“Only two more. And I think you all know who.” Pop replied. Fred nodded with a frown.

Betty had texted her mother that she was on her way and almost there.

But the Blossom’s arrived before she did. Penelope walked up to the door and tried to open it, only to be met with locks. Pop slowly got up and unlocked it. The expression on the woman’s face would have scared the average person, but Pop wasn’t average. He owned a restaurant. He met all kinds of people. Dealt with all kinds of people. Cliff’s expression was neutral but Pop could see that he was feeling the same things as his wife. Pop could read everyone, no matter how hard they tried to build up walls. Just behind them, came Penelope’s mother, Rose.

“Where are they?” Penelope demanded before she spotted the kids. Pop stopped her and Cliff from going over there.

“Now wait just a minute. You aren’t allowed to touch any of those kids at any time.” Pop said sternly.

“This is ridiculous. Who’s in charge of this meeting? Those are _my_ kids.”

“ _I_ am in charge of this meeting. This is _my_ restaurant. _My_ meeting. Sheriff’s here to be a witness and take notes. And he _will_ take over if things get out of hand.”

“Ugh, this is-”

“Penelope, shut your mouth.” Rose said from behind Cliff. The two moved to let her in and Pop closed the door. “Do as the man says. This will go a whole lot easier for everyone. Now go stand in the corner and wait for instructions.”

Penelope huffed but didn’t say anything, and she didn’t move.

“You heard your mother.” Pop said. “Go stand in the corner and wait for instructions.”

Penelope rolled her eyes but did as she was told.

“Betty’s almost here.” Alice said.

“Good. Then we can get this thing over with.” Penelope muttered.

Things were quiet for a few minutes as the kids talked amongst themselves, and the adults waited patiently. Things were tense. Pop held back a sigh. Soon the kids stopped talking and things were super quiet. Uncomfortably quiet. Nothing but the street noises which were quieter than usual.

Suddenly all of the windows shattered and crashed towards the ground. Everyone ducked and covered their eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, Pop saw someone faint.

“I need an ambulance! Now!” Sheriff Keller said into a walkie-talkie. Pop let him take charge of the situation as he pushed through the circle everyone had made around the person that had fainted. Outside, there was no one. Then Pop saw Betty about a block away looking distressed, teary eyed, and panicked. He was just glad she wasn’t anywhere near the windows when they shattered. And maybe she saw someone. But Pop knew one thing for sure.

This wasn’t random.

This was a hit.

 

_Fin_


	19. AUTHOR'S NOTE

I would just like to say thank you to everyone that’s stuck with this story until the end! Also, THIS IS THE FIRST MULTICHAPTER STORY THAT I’VE ACTUALLY _FINISHED_!!!!!

Three cheers for me!

:D

It took a while, but it was worth it. I loved your reactions as well, knowing that I totally blind-sided you with Jason is the best thing ever! Lol

Also, just a fun side note on that- Jason’s first spoken word here, was Forsythe. <3

Anyway, I do plan on a second book! I’ll be trying to add in as much from season two as I possibly can. Seeing as there will be more of Kevin and Reggie, (I think anyway,) get ready for more of their relationship! Veronica’s story will differ from it probably. Most likely. Seeing as it has already.

And Thomas? Who’s that? His first name is Sheriff, isn’t it?

Lol I thought it’d be a funny running gag if nobody called him by his first name and he just went by either Sheriff, or dad in Kevin’s case. :D His actual name in the comics is Thomas I think. Correct me if I’m wrong!

This has been so fun to write! And I can’t wait to write the second book!

 

My questions for you-

What do you want to see the most in season two? Or the second book?

 

And sorry for any mistakes that I didn’t catch. I probably won’t go back and fix them, so you’ll just have to live with them!

 

Leave a comment and happy reading!

Farewell for now!

:D


	20. AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING!!!

Just letting you know what's happening here.

I have not forgotten, or given up!

In fact, I'm writing the first chapter of the next book as we speak.

First off, this book will be a bit different. Sort of like how season two is different than season one. This one will be a little bit  _more_ mature then the last one. It's getting darker. Deeper. Crazier. lol. I hope anyway! :P I also plan to have each chapter focus on a single character at a time. To give them more "screen time" if you will, and more time to develop. I also plan on being more descriptive, so if you're not into descriptive violence or other things, then, this may not be for you. Or give it a shot, it's up to you. :) There will also be more swears. Not like, every sentence, or every time someone speaks, but they'll be more than the last book.

I'm writing it out before I post anything, so it'll be a while. In the mean time, you have the show lol. 

So this is just a heads up. Keep a look out, I have no idea when the next book will be posted.

...

...

... eh, here's a snippet from the first chapter...

* * *

 

_Veronica couldn’t breathe. She found herself outside, leaning against the school. She slid down and pulled her knees to her chest. Her eyes stung. The Lodge's are monsters._

* * *

 

See ya soon!

 

:D

**Author's Note:**

> All comments are welcome! :D


End file.
